A Long-Term Relationship - How Does It Work?

Most romance movies conveniently stop just when real life gets interesting: you've found the partner of your life, but how do you keep them? A long-term relationship means work.

Not everyone is able to commit to another person forever. Here we explain the tips and tricks for a happy long-term relationship.

Prerequisites for a happy long-term relationship

We already know each other a little and wonder whether it's equally serious for both of us. What should we look out for?

Ideally you know and like each other's family. Nothing scares you off like a real monster-in-law
You have shared hobbies, but each of you also has your own thing and can spend time alone.
You have a rough shared life plan for the next few years. You should be clear about where your partner wants to go career-wise and family-wise, and your ideas shouldn't differ too much.
You can live together. A few weeks with your partner in close quarters usually show whether you're compatible. To be safe, you can also start with a vacation together.

Stumbling blocks on the way to a long-term relationship

A relationship that lasts longer than just a few weeks is hard for many people to imagine. Yet most problems can be cleared away if you just talk to each other.
A lack of communication is in fact the main reason couples break up. If little things about my partner annoy me, I have to be able to tell them in a way that doesn't hurt. Otherwise they'll never be able to accept criticism they perceive as unfair.
In today's age of social media, experts advise deliberately planning one hour a day when you're there only for your partner. That can be a relaxed walk or a movie night together, but one thing matters: your partner. Try to find out everything about their day, discuss important upcoming appointments, tell each other how much you love each other.

Am I even capable of a long-term relationship?

Again and again you hear the line: "I'm just not capable of a long-term relationship." That's nonsense. If you really want a partner for life, you also have to compromise. And a little flexibility can't hurt any of us.

So once you've found a partner you can imagine a long-term relationship with, you should definitely be willing to work for it. An occasional romantic night out, saying at least once a day how much you love each other, time out together from the rest of the world - none of this is complicated, but it improves the chances of growing old together enormously.