The Relationship Counsellor

You may have been together with your partner for a while and you feel the 'right' thing to do is finalise your union by getting married, or you just started dating someone who looks like they'll be 'the one'. Ms Brenda Della Casa of YourTango  says a routine check-in is never a bad thing. Here are 20 tough questions to ask about your relationships before moving forward. Is for better or worse making me better or worse? Does your partner encourage you to be your best self, or does he or she get intimidated by any triumphs and feel more secure when you're not putting your best foot forward? Do we really accept one another? There will always be things you want to change about the people in your life, but no one should be in a situation where they feel they aren't allowed to be authentic and accepted as the unique, special (yet flawed) person they are. Who am I? How can you know if your partner is a good match if you have no idea who you are? ...

No strings attached? Maybe not: Casual sex is linked to mental distress, according to research in the  Journal of Sex Research .  The study of nearly 4,000 college students connected hopping in the sack with a stranger to a 10 percent drop in life satisfaction, a 15 percent hike in depression, and a 17 percent jump in general anxiety. That's bad news considering even  mild mental stress is linked to a 29 percent increase in heart disease and stroke risk, finds research in the  BMJ.  

The worst thing a woman can do is to react obsessively to a guy who doesn't like. There are certain ways to act like a lady even when you have been rejected by a guy because he doesn't share the same feelings with you. One sided crushes could be the worst thing ever, so how can a lady get herself out of that situation. Kiley Coleman  of  Binoni  lists a few tips on how to handle being rejected by a guy: Ignore him:  The most important rule when it comes to ways to react when he doesn't like you is to make sure you forget he exists. The worst thing you can do is try and talk to him. I'm not talking about that 3 day rule of no texting or calling, I mean a good amount of weeks. Girls always get this itch to text a guy something funny we've thought of, or a simple question, anything just to seem like it was okay to contact him, when really he knows what your true motive is. When we see the guys we like, we usually say hi and smile, and try and come up with a ...

Communication is the key to a healthy relationship. However, many people aren’t certain what they should be communicating about. Spend time talking about a variety of topics to grow together as a couple and to prevent your relationship from becoming stale. 1. Your Daily Activities All of your conversations don’t have to be earth shattering. Spend time talking about your day-to-day activities. Discuss what time you woke up, what you ate for lunch, or what you discussed with a co-worker and help your partner understand what happens when you’re apart. 2. Money Talk about your budget. Discuss your saving and spending habits. If you combine your finances, set some financial goals and discuss strategies to help you reach those goals.

Ahh engineers. They are a breed of their own. Some of the smartest people out there, combined with a personality that can be confusing at first, if you are a free spirit, fly by the seat of your pants type like me. But once you understand them, you realize there are major pluses to having one as your partner. 1. They are extremely organized It’s no secret that engineers tend to be somewhat particular about where their things go. They like to have easy access, up-to-date technology, working solutions, and organization in their world. Perhaps their idea of organization is not the same as yours, but being with an engineer means respecting their ways, as intruding in their system can be disruptive to their balance and ability to be productive. And you will enjoy leading an organized life with your loved one.

You should never take the back seat in your life. Letting someone else make life decisions for you could be very harmful to your well being in general. Your life passes you by slowly when you don't take control of everything that concerns you which could affect your relationship with others. Always remember it's your life and no one else's. Jodie Brownell of All Women Stalk  lists 10 important life decision every girl and woman should make to herself: To live every moment to the absolute fullest!:  Hey girl, have you felt bored or sluggish lately? If so, it's because you have not made the decision to live every moment to the fullest! You only have so many days on this earth, so make the effort to live the best life ever! Even those days that seem endless can turn into the best day of your life, but you have to be one to change your outlook and mood! Don't wait for the perfect moment to start living, NO, take the moment and make it the best one ever!

Most relationships crash because couples have some unrealistic expectations about their love life. In truth there's rarely a thing like 'happily ever after'  but it doesn't mean you shouldn't have moral standards and convictions about your relationships. This is why couples need to keep it real and face reality of life when it comes to relationships. Tanvier Peart of Madame Noire  lists few of those realities couples need to face: Fairy tales are great fiction:  You can have your happily ever after so long as you realize it doesn’t always come with a Prince Charming. Everyone has their own flaws and won’t come in a perfect package You can't get rid of family:  Yes, family can give unwanted opinions and put their nose in business that isn’t theirs, but they’re still family. Even if you don’t like your partner’s relatives, keep things cordial as they aren’t going anywhere.