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Successful couples check in with each other on a daily basis.
Even if it's just five minutes to tell each other one good thing and one bad thing that happened, the habit ensures that "a day doesn't go by that one person went through something and the other doesn't know," says sexuality and relationship expert Sara Nasserzadeh.
And there are weekly habits Nasserzadeh recommends couples pick up as well. One such habit, for example, is what she calls the "walk and talk."
Here's what that looks like and why she thinks it's effective.
'Limit it to one hour so it doesn't linger forever'
A "walk and talk" is exactly what it sounds like: To the extent it's possible for the given couple, they take a walk and talk about an issue in their shared life.
Nasserzadeh, who is also the author of "Love by Design: 6 Ingredients to Build a Lifetime of Love", recommends having a "couple's jar."
Throughout the week, if there is anything one person in the couple wants to talk to the other about, they can write it down, put it in the jar and pick one at random before they head out on a walk. "It could be planning for the next vacation, it could be some tiff that happened," she says.
If there's a conversation the couple should prioritize, the walk is a good time for it to happen. If the issue gets resolved, they can move on to the next issue the following week. If not, they can keep hammering it out until they've reached a resolution.
"Limit it to one hour so it doesn't linger forever," she says.
'The nervous system is calmer'
This tactic, Nasserzadeh says, is effective in solving problems and helping a couple move forward because during a "walk and talk," there is stimulation of both sides of the brain.
When that happens, "the nervous system is calmer," she says, which can make the couple more receptive. "They are not offended as easily. They are not as defensive as they might usually be."
It means they can both have an easier time solving the problem and check it off their list of things to work on together.
As far as building a successful relationship goes, this practice is "my utmost recommendation," she says.
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