Once you have got past the honeymoon period, you will realize that relationships are anything but easy. To make a new relationship work for the long term, it takes patience, effort and lots of hard work.

Despite the negatives that come with a long-term relationship, if you find the right person, it’s always worth the effort. You might be at the start of your relationship right now, but if you want it to last for the long haul, there are some things that you should keep in mind.

To ensure you get off to the best start, here are five new relationship tips to help make yours last:

1. Be yourself

You might be scared to be yourself – will your new partner like your strange habits, but you shouldn’t be. It can be hard opening up to new people, but it will do your relationship wonders if you do.

If you plan on being with your new partner for a long time, then it’s important that you are honest and open from the start. You might be scared that your new partner might not like everything about you, but being honest is important.

2. Take the time to get to know your partner

You might know a few things about your new lover, but there will still be plenty of things that you don’t know about. Don’t hold back when it comes to asking them questions, the more you can learn about them, the better.

When it comes to relationships, honesty is always the best policy, so if there is something that you want to know, ask. Whether you want to know about your new partner’s previous relationships or what their hopes for the future are, ask them.

3. Don’t play games

At the start of relationships, many people play games with their new partner. While you might think these games are harmless, they can cause all sorts of problems for your relationship.

The most common games people play are with communication, such as not texting back and ignoring phone calls. The idea of this is that you show your partner that you are the one with the control. However, this isn’t healthy.

4. Bad communication is common

That being said, sometimes when you partner fails to reply to your messages or calls, there are other reasons for this. To understand why your partner fails to communicate with you, have a look at Vixen Daily for advice on this.

While a partner who fails to communicate can be irritating, it doesn’t have to be a deal breaker. As long as they aren’t playing games with you, then there isn’t really, any reason to worry.

5. Have fun together

The happiest relationships are always the ones that contain lots of fun, so make sure that your have fun with your partner. If you and your partner have fun and laugh together on a regular basis, then you are more likely to stay together for the long haul.

The key to having a successful relationship is ensuring that it starts off well. To get things off on the right foot, follow the tips and you should avoid screwing up your relationship when you first get it started.

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