1.  Apply the three C’s.
    Seize every opportunity to compliment, commend, and congratulate your partner. Think about your partner’s personality and actions.  Identify those things that are “excellent and praiseworthy” and compliment your partner for them.  Lavish him with praise, heap words of appreciation upon her.  Never forget that a sincere compliment is a tremendous gift.

2.  Turn off the TV (or computer).
    Most couples are extremely busy.  Both usually work outside the home and must juggle other demands for their time such as parenting, household managements, socialization and such.  This means the couples have very little time spending together.  Many couples use television (computer) as a time to relax.  However, TV can obstruct the relationship.  Turn off the TV and spend more time talking and sharing with each other the worries and joys of the day have been.

5.  Be a genie- grant your partner three wishes.
    Most people are more comfortable giving rather than receiving.  They find it hard to ask for special favors.  An effective way to cut through the obstacle is to be a genie by granting your partner’s wishes (just pray it’s not too expensive).

6.  Think before you speak.
    “Raised voice lower self esteem.   Hot tempers cool friendships.  Loose tongue stretch truth.  Swelled head shrink influence.  Sharp words dull respect.”  These are the wise words of William Arthur Ward.  Words are weapons; they can inspire, injure, hurt or heal.  Do your best to spend your word wisely.  While it is right to let your partner know how you feel, choose the words carefully.  Think before you speak.     

7.  Routinely send love signals.
    Small gestures often convey large meanings.  Express your love through small acts of kindness, tenderness and gentleness.  Little things you done for your partner would mean a lot to her or him.  Read the ways on how to send love signals to your partner.  

8.  Lighten and brighten life with laughter.
    Laughter adds richness, texture, and color to otherwise an ordinary days.  It is a gift, a choice, a discipline, and an art.  According to study conducted by a sociologist and gerontologist Finnegan Alford-Cooper, 93% of long term couples described their marriage as “happy.”  Alford-Cooper discovered that one key to marital longevity was a sense of humor.  79% said that they laughed together everyday.  One 83-year old man, married for 64-years to the woman said, “We laugh at each other’s jokes we’ve heard a million times.  We have a great rapport.”

9.  Listen with your heart.
    When your partner is upset, allow free expression of feelings.  Don’t refute his/her logic.  Don’t explain how unreasonable she/he is.  Don’t pick away at details.  Just listen.  The only appropriate comments are those that seek clarification and understanding.  Later, when there has been time to process the information and when feelings are cooled, there will be a better time to respond. By being a perceptive listener you show great respect to your partner by allowing him/her to share his/her thoughts and feelings.  

10.  Be generous with forgiveness.
    You cannot save a relationship but you can build a new one.  Forgiveness is the key in starting the process of building a new relationship.  Forgiveness involves letting go of anger, restoring respect, and offering acceptance.   If you can find a way to offer the gift of forgiveness, you will have discovered one of the strongest circuit breakers of all that allows you to put down the burden you’re carrying.  With your hands and hearts free, you and your partner can begin building a new, more fulfilling relationship.   

Reference: Health and Home (1999)