Relationships are hard work. No matter how long you’ve been with someone, how much you love someone, there are still ways you can better yourself and work on yourself to make your relationship better. No one is perfect, everyone can use a little “workshopping” from time to time. You may not be the worst girlfriend in the entire world, but, there are ways that you can be an even better girlfriend to make your relationship stronger.
1. Understand that “guys night” is “guys night.”
Some girls get angry when their boyfriend goes out with his friends too often. When you’re dating someone, not everything can be about you two all of the time. Everyone needs space and time to themselves, or with their friends/family to blow off steam. Let your boyfriend have fun and let loose with his friends, at the end of the night he’s coming home to you anyway.
2. Don’t be a helicopter girlfriend.
Your boyfriend is a grown man, he doesn’t need two mothers telling him what to do all the time. Don’t nag him to do things and ask him 45 questions every time he gets home. Guys have a mentality where they want to be the “man” and do things when they want to do them. Let him do things on his own time. Unless it’s directly affecting you in some way, leave him be.
3. Give him space when he needs it.
If your boyfriend is stressed out or feels overwhelmed with work, school, friends, etc. don’t pester him about “why you haven’t hung out lately.” Let him do his thing and get his sh*t together. Don’t make his life even harder when he’s already in over his head. If he’s dating you, he wants to be with you – just because he doesn’t text you every 4 seconds or see you every single day doesn’t mean he’s changed his mind.
4. Support his dreams or goals, even if you don’t love them.
Your boyfriend may decide he wants to take up a new hobby, try a new sport or even quit his job and try something else that works better for him. As his girlfriend, you should support his dreams, all in. Don’t question him and make him feel insecure about his aspirations. Just because they don’t match yours, doesn’t mean they’re wrong or invalid.
5. Appreciate the things he does for you.
It’s nice to say “thank you” from time to time, but, you have to appreciate the things your boyfriend does for you – I mean, really appreciate them. Gratitude. I’m not saying you have to kiss his feet and worship the ground he walks on, but realizing he’s trying and showing him you’re grateful makes all the difference.
6. Practice forgiveness.
Your boyfriend is not perfect. He’s going to make mistakes and he’s going to let you down sometimes. You need to learn how to forgive him for the things that aren’t life or death. He may have forgotten to call you when he got home the other night, he may have forgotten a family dinner he said he’d go to. But, if he isn’t hurting you and he isn’t cheating on you, it’s good to learn to forgive. And not that half-ass “it’s okay” and later you bring it up again, I mean really forgive him.
7. Get your own life.
Your boyfriend and your relationship should never be the end-all, be-all of your life. You need to have your own life, too. Be busy, do things you love, go on vacation with your friends. Don’t make your relationship your everything. You need to learn to be happy on your own time, on your own terms, too. It puts too much pressure on your relationship and your boyfriend if you constantly make the relationship your entire world.