Reading Corner

This week in our blog, we wrote about how to keep all your long-term relationships vital and fresh. Here are some articles that deal with partnership relationships, although we wrote from the perspective of all relationships.

Six Tips to Keep Long-Term Relationships Exciting “The idea that the excitement of a relationship is sentenced to only the first months or even years a couple is together is completely false. When it comes to a long-term relationship with a partner we ourselves chose, we can maintain the thrill of being in love, and deepen our feelings of passion and intimacy. However, to do this means avoiding certain behaviors, habits, and traps that couples commonly fall into the longer they stay together.”

Keeping the Spark Alive in Your Relationship “When loving feelings fade in a relationship, people say that they “just don’t feel the same way that they once did” towards their partner. They often attribute the demise of passion to some fault of their partner or believe that fondness and affection inevitably dwindle over time. However, neuroscience research shows that the brain regions associated with early-relationship passion can stay just as active 20 years later in a relationship. Passion doesn’t just die out.”

How to Keep a Relationship Alive, According to Experts “Long-term relationships, whether you’re married or not, can bring an element of stability and comfort to one’s life. What begins as the honeymoon stage where everything feels wonderful and potential red flags are ignored, naturally progresses to the stage where your true selves are revealed and commitment is formed. Relationships are continually evolving experiences that both parties are responsible for shaping and investing in. Along the way, however, life can seem to complicate maintaining and renewing that spark—from raising children to major or unexpected changes at work (such as a layoff or a promotion that means more travel) or a partner’s health, it may seem like the cards are stacked against you. Still, there’s a way to have the best of both worlds—the passion of new love and the benefits of a long-term relationship.”

This week, we asked what kind of commitment each of you want in your relationship. We suggest that it’s good to talk about what your commitment is before discussing the specific decisions involved in making a life together. Here are some articles with different aspects of commitment.

10 Questions to Help You Tell If You’re Ready to Commit “How does anyone know what he or she will want 10 years from now, or whether a current commitment will morph into a lasting one? Of course, total security has always been an illusion, yet there must be some way to know when a potential relationship is worth the investment. Having spent over 100,000 intimate hours with clients over the last four decades, I believe there are still some solid criteria to help men and women decide between long-term partnering or short-term exploration.”

Here is what real commitment to your marriage means “What does being committed to your marriage really mean? UCLA psychologists answer this question in a new study based on their analysis of 172 married couples over the first 11 years of marriage.”

8 Real Ways to Keep a Committed Relationship Healthy “As you and your partner become more serious and transition from newly dating into a more long term committed relationship, your relationship will likely experience some changes. A more long term relationship comes with lots of benefits like becoming closer and more comfortable around each other, but it also comes with more difficulties as you navigate life as a couple. Keeping a committed relationship exciting and viable often involves work – but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Focusing on establishing healthy habits for yourself, encouraging these things in your partner and creating healthy standards for your relationship will keep your committed relationship going!”