Life Hacks and Relationship Hacks Let You Have a Happy Life and Keep The Sanity In Your Primary Relationship During the Most Stressful Time of the Year

With the holiday season upon us, there is no doubt that the majority of us will be spending more quality time with family for the next couple of months.  While it is understood that our families and extended families can drive us to the verge of insanity from time to time, they are, without question, the source of our greatest joys in life. Life hacks help us to make this time even better.

Can life hacks and relationship hacks reduce holiday stress so that you can have a happy life when special times of the year threaten to beat you down?

During the holidays, we tend to be under more stress.  Consequently, our primary relationships can degrade.  It can be hard to be happy when it’s so easy to focus on all of the things that have to be done. As opposed to those things that provide us with joy and meaning.  Those closest to us can be put on the back burner, so to speak, leaving relationships in murky water.

Life hacks and relationship hacks can help solve this problem…

In fact, a study by data researcher David McCandless showed that break-ups begin to rise starting in October and peak just before Christmas.  McCandless studied the Facebook status updates of 10,000 people and generated the following data.

The chart above shows breakups announced by Facebook users’ status updates plotted over time. The most likely breakup periods were just after Valentines Day and just before Christmas – times when we should be happy, enjoying a happy life.

In order to create the most meaningful relationships with our family members, it is important to root ourselves in a solid foundation. Life hacks can help…

When our priorities are built on a solid foundation, there is nothing that can’t be accomplished.  That foundation begins with the relationship with our partner.  When we are in a good place with our partner, it feels like we can handle anything. Even the mayhem of external demands. The home is fun, happier and more productive. Likewise, communication is better.  Even the visits with the ‘nagging in-laws” or the “crazy uncle” are easier to handle with grace and patience.

Why relationship hacks? Why life hacks?

Let’s face it — good relationships that allow us to be happy, take work.  However, in today’s world, we are busier than ever. Or so we claim to be.

A 2013 study in Psychology today reported that, on average, Americans spend only 20% more time working than they spend watching TV on a daily basis.

People are struggling to carve time for each other.  However, we can all find five minutes that we could dedicate to bringing joy to our partner. That joy, and the positive attitude to take action, will begin to permeate into our other relationships as well.  Invest just a little bit of time; make the extra effort and watch the results.

So let’s get started on a few quick life hacks – relationship hacks – so you can begin to take your relationship with your partner to a higher, more fulfilling level and have a happy life being happy together!

Even if you are single, listen up, as the right partner could be just around the corner.  The following tips could all be done in about 5 minutes and the payoff will absolutely be worth it.

1.  Take Gary Chapman’s 5 Love Languages Online Quiz – www.5LoveLanguages.com.  This will help you to discern how you and your partner want to express love.   It is a great resource and has helped many of our students improve their relationship.

2.  Spend 5 minutes planning a date night.  Go out for a nice dinner, a long walk, or check out your favorite jazz club.  Date nights are essential to any relationship, especially one with kids, and if they are not planned, they often don’t happen.

3.  Spend 5 minutes taking turns at playing an adult version of Simon Says.  Dr. John Gray, a friend of mine, who endorsed The Have It All Woman, suggests that couples spend a few minutes taking turns to tell their partner what they want.  Sexually, our relationships can get into a rut, and if it is your intent to be with this person for decades, then it is imperative that you communicate in the bedroom.

4.  Send love texts to your partner every day.  You may also choose to write a note.  Either way, we all want to be appreciated and daily notes are a wonderful way to let your partner know how much you truly love them.

5.  Look into one another’s eyes and breathe for five minutes.  Yes, it may feel awkward; however, as William Shakespeare wrote, ‘The eyes are the window to the soul.’  When we look deeply into the eyes of another person, we create a profound connection.  In workshops I have done, people doing this exercise have had incredible experiences, including seeing another person’s childhood, feeling their emotions, and being able to observe their thoughts.

We have all had our ups and downs when it comes to our relationships, and the extra stress of the holidays can further test us.

Relationship hacks can help but remember that a strong foundation is essential in building fulfilling relationships throughout our lives.  Invest time in strengthening those core relationships.  The amount of time needed to make a positive impact is negligible, but the results will be incredible.

Susan Sly is a best selling author, speaker and entrepreneur. She has appeared on CNN, CNBC, Fox, Lifetime Television and the CBN. Susan is the mother of five children and resides in Scottsdale, Arizona.