Long-term relationship tips from sex seven times a month to an open phone policy
If you're after ways to keep the romance alive, new research may provide the answer.
Having sex seven times a month, never going to bed on a bad note and admitting when you're wrong have been revealed as some of the best ways to keep the romance alive in a long-term relationship.
New research found that regularly getting it on, being able to laugh at each other and continuing to say 'I love you' are some of the tried and tested methods for staying close as a couple.
Researchers surveyed 2,000 British couples who have been together for 10 years or longer to uncover the secrets to a happy relationship.
Turns out how often you get intimate is considered quite important to long-term coupledom, with respondents sharing that seven is the magic figure in terms of the number of times they do it each month. The top route to relationship success, however, is having fun together, with 64% citing this as a major plus point.
Other tips include having no secrets (43%), a similar sense of humour (41%) and never going to sleep on an argument (31%). Equality also proved important, with over a quarter (26%) of the couples polled, saying a 50/50 division of household chores was essential to keeping things amicable.
Trying not to change each other (36%) and having an open phone policy (10%) also featured in the list.
Read more: Introducing How I was dumped - Yahoo UK's new column in which writers share the relatable, shocking and heart-wrenching ways their relationship ended
Almost half (44%) of those couples surveyed, claim they are very happy in their relationship, while a further 29% said they were generally happy.
When it comes to knowing you’ve found the one, a romantic fifth (19%) said they realised on their first date, while a more practical 46% said they knew after a few months.
Despite generally being content in their relationships, it seems there's a limit to how long that giddy-in-love phase lasts with the survey revealing the honeymoon period ends after approximately nine months of being together.
It seems that the path to true love doesn't always run smoothly, however, as despite 48% believing they have found their soulmate, one in five admit to being unfaithful.
Surprisingly 85% of couples experiencing infidelity have managed to work things out, with 38% saying an affair actually made their relationship stronger.
Commenting on the findings a spokesperson for ITVX, who commissioned the poll to launch new drama Love & Death, said: "It’s fascinating to learn that almost half of all married couples in the UK are impacted by infidelity. Thankfully, the vast majority of British couples are able to resolve things amicably."
25 tips for maintaining a happy, long-term relationship
Having fun together – 64%
Admitting when you are wrong – 51%
Always having each other’s backs – 50%
Compromise – 50%
Having no secrets – 43%
Being able to laugh at each other – 42%
Never stopping saying I love you – 42%
Having the same sense of humour – 41%
Never trying to change each other – 36%
Regular sex – 32%
Never going to sleep on an argument – 31%
Being able to cry in front of each other – 27%
A 50/50 division of household chores – 26%
A similar sex drive – 24%
Regular time apart – 22%
Liking the same TV shows – 20%
Cooking together – 17%
Having separate bank accounts. – 16%
Having the same bedtime – 15%
Having an open phone policy – 10%
Like the same takeaways – 10%
Never going to the loo in front of each other – 7%
Being aligned politically – 6%
Forgiving an infidelity – 5%
Separate beds – 5%
