It's becoming more obvious as I look around that people don't know how to make relationships last. It seems like for a while everyone is in the "Honeymoon Phase" but after that's over they don't know what to do to keep the relationship happy and healthy, so here are a few tips.

1. Communicate With Each Other

This seems super cliche but communication is so important. We are humans, we can't read minds people! You have to speak up when something is wrong. You can't be mad at your significant other for repeatedly doing something you don't like if you aren't correcting them. Sometimes they really just don't think they're offending you and talking to them about it should create some type of change in their behavior. And if you're too scared to say anything because you don't want to 'cause unnecessary' problems then you might not be ready for a relationship. There are always going to conflicts between you and your partner no matter how hard you try to keep the peace so just embrace it and have a conversation with them. The sooner you do the easier it will be to resolve the issues you two have.

2. Don't Base The Quality Of The Relationship On The Time

Just because you have been with someone for three or four years that doesn't mean you have to stay. If you're not feeling pleased or loved it's OK to leave them. Sometimes people feel like if they break up with someone they've been with for a long time that it will be like all those years or months together would be wasted but if you stay in that unsatisfying situation you're only wasting more of your time.

3. Don't Constantly Make Excuses For The Other Person

There have been too many times when people outside the relationship see something that shouldn’t be going on. But when they bring it up to the people involved they come up with an unbelievable story/reason for their actions. STOP making excuses for people just to make your relationship look happier than it actually is! Everyone has issues within their own relationships, don't be embarrassed or afraid to be open about them. No one can judge you because no one has a perfect relationship. The longer you pretend it's OK the unhappier you will be.

4. Stop Comparing Your Partner To Other People

Everyone is different. You may see some similarities between people but there is no need to constantly bring them up. Some people are insecure about certain things and bringing those 'flaws' up, especially when it's to compare them with someone else, it really hurts. More often than not, the partner on the receiving end of this usually gets suspicious about your relationship with whoever you have compared them to. So it's better to save yourself the energy and just keep your mouth shut.

5. Be Honest With Each Other

We learn that we shouldn't lie unless it is to spare other people's feelings but this is definitely not something you want to do while dating someone. Lying to your partner gets you nowhere, somehow they always find out what you did. It's better to own up to your mistakes than to cover them up because when the truth comes out and it's not from your mouth, words can get twisted around and now your problem is going to be bigger than before.