TURN IT AROUND

Answered more negatively than positively to the 10 questions? Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean you’re about to split up – but it might be time to make some changes. We asked the experts for their best advice when it comes to strengthening a relationship, however you answered…

1

EXPRESS GRATITUDE

If you’ve been in a relationship for a while, it can be easy to take each other for granted, says relationship

therapist Dr Laura Vowels. ‘Identify and express gratitude for the things your partner does

for you throughout the week, whether that’s making you lunch or

saying something kind.’

2

CHANGE THE WAY YOU WATCH TV Tend to binge-watch solo? ‘Watching TV separately, but at the same time, can be deadly for a relationship – you’re fixed on a screen, not engaging with each other,’ says relationship expert Jessica Leoni. ‘Even worse, you lead separate lives in separate rooms.’ Find things to watch that you both enjoy at least two nights a week and talk

about it.

3

MAKE NEW MEMORIES

One of the best ways to rekindle a romance or strengthen an existing relationship is to do new things together. ‘It doesn’t have to be extravagant, but it can help broaden your mindset,’ says Dr Vowels. ‘Doing it with your partner can strengthen the bond between you.’ It can even stop boredom or resentment setting in

for good.

4

THE PRESENT IS A PRESENT Just as it’s unrealistic to wish you had the same waistline you had in your 20s, so is trying to recreate the fireworks you felt when you met. ‘Time changes a relationship,’ says expert Neil Wilkie. ‘Things

can’t be the same as before.’ Focus on a relationship in the now, that’s both realistic and achievable.

Work at appreciation, mutual respect and having fun together.

5

LISTEN UP

If communication between the two of you is flawed, try giving each other a head massage. ‘The idea is that the person receiving the head massage listens, while the person doing the giving talks. If someone is in a relaxed state, they’re more likely to respond in a supportive manner,’ says Jasveer

Matharu, founder of women’s holistic wellness app, Elara Care. Search Youtube for ‘Indian head massage’ for the right technique.

6

EASE THE PRESSURE

Emotional support’s vital in a partnership but emotional dependency can become toxic. ‘Avoid becoming too dependent on your partner in terms of expecting them to

fulfil your happiness,’ says Carolyne Bennett, an advanced law of attraction coach. If you feel upset by something in daily life, try to be your own

‘hero’ by empowering

yourself to solve it.