Even the strongest relationships sometimes show signs of wear. It’s only natural to experience problems with your partner from time to time. It’s how you deal with these problems that define your relationship, not the problems themselves.

Unfortunately, a lot of people have absolutely no idea how to manage problems in their relationships, which is why so many relationships fail these days.

If you are facing problems with your partner but don’t want to end your relationship, then this post’s got you covered.

Here are some solutions to common relationship troubles:

Couples Therapy

Couples therapy is by far this list’s most effective method of repairing and resolving relationship issues. In the words of psychiatry pros from williamsburgtherapygroup.com, you can access specialized therapies, designed to address a broad range of issues, from anxiety to addiction. Seeing a therapist can be expensive, but it’s worthwhile if your relationship is failing. If you have health insurance, then your insurer may pay toward the cost of therapy. Remember: If couples therapy is going to work, then your partner needs to be as equally engaged as you are. If they are not, then therapy won’t help.

Take Responsibility

If anything negative happens that’s your fault, then take responsibility. A lot of people, unfortunately, don’t know when (and how) to take responsibility, which leads to problems in their relationships. It does take a lot of maturities to take full responsibility for something that you have done, which is why your partner will no doubt appreciate it. Even if they are angry at you, they will still respect you for owning up and accepting responsibility for your actions. This is especially true if you have a history of denying and shifting blame for your behavior. Your partner should also take responsibility for their actions.

Total Transparency

A relationship can’t survive if there isn’t total transparency. Bottling up your emotions will inevitably lead to passive aggressiveness and future conflicts. The same is also true if your partner bottles up their emotions. If you are both simultaneously bottling up your emotions, then you could end up having very heated arguments with each other. Total emotional transparency will help you to mature in your relationship, improving your bond with your partner all the while. If you don’t know how to be more transparent, then you can do this by expressing yourself more and explaining how you feel to your partner.

Explaining Triggers

Everybody’s got triggers. A trigger is an action or behavior that takes you back to a bad place and provokes negative emotions. Most people’s triggers are easily managed and aren’t the catalyst for serious emotional breakdowns, but sometimes they can be. If you are a person that’s very sensitive, then if your triggers are set off then it could be very problematic for you. The best way to ensure that your triggers aren’t set off (and if they are that you are able to deal with them maturely) is to sit down with your partner and explain them.

Extend Compassion

It’s often the case that as human beings we hurt people around us, with no regard for their feelings. Often we are totally unaware that we are doing this. Extending compassion to your partner after you have hurt them is an extremely effective way of building your bond, improving your relationship, and ensuring that they feel as though you appreciate them. Being a more compassionate person will also help to soften your heart and make you kinder. Make sure to extend compassion not just to your partner, but to everybody else that you may have hurt, past and present. Therapy is an extremely effective way of becoming more compassionate because a therapist will help to explain other people’s feelings to you.

Unrealistic Expectations

Unfortunately (and due to social media in many cases), people have very unrealistic expectations about what their partner should do for them and how they should behave. For example, it’s very common nowadays for people to expect everybody to talk about their emotions freely because there is a huge push for emotional openness in the media and on social media. Some people don’t like to talk about their emotions though. If you feel as though your partner is forcing their standards and pushing you to conform to their expectations, then sit down and discuss this with them. Being forced to conform to another person’s standards can be very stifling and can actually damage your sense of identity.

If you are facing problems in your relationship, then it’s a good idea to act fast. The quicker you act with regards to repairing your relationship, the less damage that will be done to it. If you don’t act and instead allow your relationship to stagnate and fall apart, then you might not be able to repair it later on down the line.