I have dealt with a decently big amount off tough times in my relationship. Dealing with these difficulties did not make us weaker though, It made us stronger and we now know how to talk it through without getting angry about things.
1. Always be able to compromise.
Of course compromising does not mean that you will both be happy all the time. Sometimes you need to be willing to put your loved ones happiness before your own, but you shouldn't have to be unhappy all the time. Your significant other must also compromise by giving you the happiness you need as well.
2. Never let your significant other pressure you into anything your not ready for.
https://unsplash.com/photos/W-wGFm54R-kBeing pressured could include a few different things. The big ones are sex and meeting their whole family. There are always those people you talk to who think you must have sex with your loved one right away because it shows you truly love them. This is false. If someone truly loves you, then they will be willing to wait for the other one to be completely ready. If it is meeting the family, you don't have to meet them immediately. It is best to be positive that they are ready to be that committed before just showing up saying your meeting the family.
3. Always be who you truly are.
If your significant other tries to change you to what they want you to be, then you should not be with them. That person must be okay with who you truly are and not want to change anything about you. You can't say you love someone but then you slowly try to change them into the person they want you to be, and not who you want to be.
4. You should listen to what your partner does not feel comfortable with.
There are times that should be obvious that it will upset your partner. Things like always hanging out with other girls/guys that you think something could happen there, or if they start talking to their ex again. There are people who might say that they ended on great terms and became friends after their breakup, but that is not what it seems like to us. When my boyfriend started to talk to his ex, he said that he just felt bad about how things ended, but in my head I was thinking, "what if something comes out of them talking?" I did not want to lose him to someone who did not really deserve him.
5. You must always communicate, even when it is difficult.
It is not always sunshine and rainbows everyday of a relationship. There will always be those days where you are not agreeing on something and really need to cool off. You might need to continue to talk it over, but do not let it escalate or it may never get solved. This also means you must be able to trust them with anything out there.
6. Always trust your significant other, even when it is hard.
If your boyfriend is always talking to girls from work but outside of work, or if your girlfriend is talking to other guys, then you need to learn to trust them that they will not let anything happen. You should never tell them they can't talk to them ever because sometimes it might be needed. But you can tell them if it becomes too much, like if they are constantly answering them the entire time you are together. Once I told my boyfriend that, he listened to me and wouldn't answer them with me around, or he would let me see what they say so I know nothing is going on.