Making Valentine’s Day a Year-Round Habit

Showing your significant other that you love him or her is a lovely thing, but what does it have to happen only once a year? Many couples are disconcerting the art of daily demonstrations of affection, love, and respect. It doesn't mean you have to go all-out every day; few have the resources for that! But there are things you can do each day to affirm and nourish your relationship. The key is making these gestures habitual.

Here are some ideas for making Valentine’s Day a year-round habit.

1. Say “Thank You”: Expressing gratitude is so important in a relationship, even if it’s just a friendship. Thanking your significant other also benefits you, because it opens your eyes to the many ways in which that person augments your life. In other words, the more you practice saying “Thank you,” the more you’ll see what the other person does for you. And that will make you happy as well.

2. Do His/Her Job: Does your mate always take out the garbage? Cook breakfast? Vacuum? Mow the lawn? You probably are pretty aware of what he or she contributes since you’re now taking the time to say “thank you.” So volunteer to do that job yourself one day. You maybe can leave a note that says something like, “Don’t worry about doing ____; I’ve taken care of it. Love you!” This shows your mate that you actually do notice what he or she does every day, and it takes a load off of their shoulders, too.

3. Gifts: Little things can mean a lot, especially if you make a regular habit of giving them. Obviously, you don’t need to give a gift every day; it starts to lose meaning at that point. But maybe once a month a little gift for no particular reason may be just the thing your partner needs to feel fantastic. When you give a thoughtful gift at some other time in the year, your partner knows you’re not giving because you’re “supposed” to according to the calendar. They know you’re doing it because you want to.

4. Love Notes: Leave a note somewhere that your significant other will find it when you’re not around. Again, you don’t have to do this every day; once a week would be great. If you want to keep him or her guessing, do it on a different day of the week each time.

5. Make Something: Create something special for your love. Surprise him or her with a homemade collage of romantic pictures of both of you, or put together a simple necklace. The key here is to do something that is meaningful and fits the other person’s tastes and personality. It’s also a good idea to make something that signifies or illustrates your relationship, or something unique about your relationship.

The spirit Valentine's Day —showing love to others—need not be a once-a-year thing. Try venturing out and doing some random acts of love!