Relationships between a couple can be next to impossible to maintain. It's so easy to fall in "love", but it's so hard to make it last.  Commitment is something that requires much effort. In today's world, how are we even able to keep a job or raise a child? It's practically a miracle if a relationship lasts a year or more.

It's a wonderful thing to have someone to call your own. Lifetimes are best when they are shared. Loneliness can be a horrible experience at times. So how can we maintain our love? How can we keep the wonderful feeling we had when we fell in love? The truth is simple, hard work. It would be nice if it were easy, but nothing worthwhile comes easy. Try using the tips in this article to help you remember how to have a lasting relationship.

1. Kiss each other.  Remember when you first met and you always kissed? Kiss hello, kiss goodbye, kiss on a regular basis. This simple act keeps a couple close and stops romance from dying.
2. At least once a day, have a 20 second hug.  A study by University of North Carolina researchers found that hugs increase the "bonding" hormone oxytocin and decrease the risk of heart disease. In fact, when couples hugged for 20 seconds, their levels of oxytocin, released during childbirth and breastfeeding, increased. Those in loving relationships had the highest increases.
3. Listen to each other. Communication is always talked about in relationship building. What we tend to forget is half of communicating is listening. Make sure you really hear what your partner is saying.
4. Be kind to one another. At the beginning of a relationship it is natural to be kind to one another. It's seems as time goes by it becomes easy to treat your partner as if they aren't even human. Remember to show respect to one another.
5. Date your partner. Make sure you continue to go out together. Plan getaways with each other when you can, and when you can't, have a date at home. Fix yourself up and worry about your appearance for each other. Don't take each other for granted.
6. Compliment your mate. Pay attention to your significant others needs. Compliment their actions, appearance and accomplishments. Make it a habit to give heartfelt thanks.
7. Explore new things together. Make an effort to keep from growing apart by growing together. Learn new things with each other. Try a new hobby together or start a new project together.
8. Take a long walk. Set some sort of time to be alone with each other every day. A time to talk and listen without distractions.
9. Give them a gift, "just because".  Do something special on a regular basis "just because". These things help show love and the desire to stay together. Write a love note or give a massage, for no reason at all.
10. Have a dinner party.  Having mutual friends helps a couple stay close and reduces stress in relationships.

These tips won't save a relationship. Only a commitment to years of effort will allow a couple to remain a couple. A never say quit attitude and hard work is what makes relationships last. The techniques in this article are just ideas of how to apply the effort required to make a relationship last.

Wayne Ansell