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Looking for better ways to appreciate your partner?
Appreciation is an important practice in every relationship. After all, appreciating your significant other shows that you are grateful for them and everything that they do.
Also, regularly expressing your appreciation can help you not take your partner for granted and avoid resentment while changing your overall mindset to one of gratitude.
Introduction: What Are Some Ways To Appreciate Your Partner?
However, many people forget to even say “thank you” to their partners. Instead, they complain about the things their partner or spouse didn’t do, how they lack in a certain aspect of their life and more. More complaining and less appreciating results in more fights.
Your relationship is one of the best aspects of your life. Take care of it by being more appreciative of your partner. From saying “thank you” to buying them their favorite whitening or beauty soap, the little things go a long way in your relationship.
Fortunately, expressing gratitude need not always be a grand gesture. There are small yet impactful ways you can appreciate your spouse to make them feel loved.
Related: Listen To This Dad Devotionals Episode To Learn How To Appreciate Your Partner
Learn Their Love Language and Base Your Actions Around Them
Gary Chapman’s book, “The 5 Love Languages,” took the world by storm back in the ’90s. Despite being published a decade ago, the principles of the book remain relevant today, especially for people in relationships.
In the book, Chapman states that there are five love languages, which are defined as ways to receive and give love. These are:
- Words of affirmation
- Acts of service
- Quality time
- Physical touch
- Receiving gifts
Knowing yours and your partner’s love language can help you find out how to properly appreciate your spouse in a way that impacts them. For example, if your significant other appreciates words of affirmation but you insist on showing affection physically, it wouldn’t resonate as much with them compared to if you wrote them a letter or encouraged them IRL.
Once you determine their love language (as well as yours), you open the relationship to numerous beautiful possibilities.
Be Specific When You Thank Your Partner
Generic compliments are part of every relationship. You know the basics:
- “Thanks for doing this.”
- “You’re the best.”
- “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
While these compliments are good, and there is a place and time for them, the ones that resonate more with people are super specific compliments. So, if you want to thank your partner, take the time to think about the exact things you want to be thankful for.
Why do you think of them as the best? Did they lift up your spirits when you felt down? Did they help you with chores while you were busy attending to more important things? Whatever your partner did, however small or big, try to be specific when thanking them.
Saying why you appreciate your significant other reinforces the idea that they matter to you. Plus, the specifics make your gratitude feel more tangible and real. It also feels more heartfelt compared to a universal and very basic “Thank you.”
Incorporate Small Gestures Into Your Day
Once you’re in a serious relationship, it becomes easier to get so comfortable that you forget to acknowledge your spouse. However, it’s important to pause and appreciate your significant other in some way throughout the day, every day. Even if it’s something simple as bidding them hello and goodbye when they come home or leave for work.
Little gestures matter. Kissing them on the cheek, treating them to their favorite snacks – these little moments add up to a bigger affirmation, which lets your partner know that you care. If you throw away these little gestures, you might send a message to your spouse that you don’t care as much.
So, pay attention to the smallest gestures. Use them and make them happen.
Take Care of Yourself, Too
If you don’t meet your needs, it’s harder to meet another person’s needs. So, before you can take care of your partner, take care of yourself.
Start by getting a decent night’s sleep. While sex and finances can cause conflict in relationships, lack of sleep can do the same. A study reported that poor sleep is often associated with relationship troubles since it can make you feel too tired, self-involved or cranky.
There are many things that can disrupt your sleep in a relationship, from your partner’s frequent trips to the bathroom or snoring or mattress firmness and/or room temperature. So, make sure you do everything to get a good night’s sleep. Invest in a better mattress, adopt soothing nighttime routines – do everything in your power to sleep well so you can be a better spouse while you’re at it.
Your relationship is one of life’s gifts. Appreciate it more by being thankful to your spouse. Practice the ways suggested above to be more appreciative!