Tip #17

Take breaks from each other.

This isn't new advice. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" has been stitched into little throw pillows and painted on quaint wooden signs for over a century. But the reason it's a common cliche is because it's true.

Take a vacation alone once in a while. Even if it's only a weekend. Giving yourself time to miss your partner is a great way to illuminate what you love about them and to allow trust to build.

Being apart for a bit also creates the opportunity for both partners to be full individuals and to experience the world alone. It certainly obviates any feelings of being trapped or restrained by your relationship.

And when you get back, you get to relearn each other and share stories with one another. Maybe the phrase should be: Little bursts of bonding spurred by a recent absence makes the relationship stronger.