Plenty of romantic tips make the suggestion of improving your communication, and rightly so. It’s a pivotal feature in every kind of relationship, whether it is a business relationship or a romantic one. But what is good communication? What form does it take? Before you go blowing money on evenings at Phuket romantic restaurants, it’s worth finding out how to optimise that time and effort by discovering what kind of communication will help.

Be honest

A good tip in life generally, but with relationships built predominantly on mutual trust and respect, honesty is essential. That doesn’t just mean telling the truth when asked a direct question, either. It includes being honest about how you are feeling. If you have a different opinion to your loved one, it’s more productive to talk about it than to keep it bottled up, which only creates unresolved resentment.

Admire your partner’s strengths

Of course, nobody is perfect. However, everyone has their strengths – after all, you probably wouldn’t be in a relationship with them if there was nothing about them that you liked. Well, let them know that you admire them for those strengths. Everyone likes to feel appreciated. On the subject of lacking perfection, while you’re praising your partner’s strength, you should also try overlooking the little flaws. They’re a part of the person you love, so look past them at those all-important strengths.

Make thoughtful gestures

This particular romantic tip boils down to “be nice”. Take the time to let your partner know that they are in your thoughts. Wish them luck if they’re facing a new challenge, be sympathetic if they are worried about something. Take the time to learn what little gifts and gestures makes your partner happy and be sure to exercise that knowledge from time to time, such as buying their favourite sweets, for example.

Listen

This should really be an obvious one, yet is overlooked surprisingly frequently. For one thing, you can’t easily apply the above romantic tips if you don’t listen to your partner to figure out what they do and do not like. More importantly, however, asking the same questions repeatedly because you forgot the answers really makes it very obvious that the relationship isn’t a priority to you. Of course, there’s more to listening to just hearing and remembering – learning to practice active listening will have a massive impact.

Say “I love you”

Sometimes the simple things matter the most.