Learn to give and take in your relationship

If you expect to get what you want 10 per cent of the time in a relationship, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Healthy relationships are built on compromise. However, it takes work on each person's part to make sure that there is a reasonable exchange.

Recognise what's important to your partner

Knowing what is truly important to your partner can go a long way towards building goodwill and an atmosphere of compromise. On the flip side, it's also important for your partner to recognise your wants and for you to state them clearly. Constantly giving to others at the expense of your own needs will only build resentment and anger.

Don't make "winning" your goal If you approach your partner with the attitude that things have to be your way or else, it will be difficult to reach a compromise. Sometimes this attitude comes from not having your needs met while younger, or it could be years of accumulated resentment in the relationship reaching a boiling point. It's alright to have strong convictions about something, but your partner deserves to be heard as well. Be respectful of the other person and their viewpoint.

Learn how to respectfully resolve conflict

• Conflict is inevitable in any relationship, but to keep a relationship strong, both people need to feel they've been heard. The goal is not to win but to maintain and strengthen the relationship.

• Make sure you are fighting fair. Keep the focus on the issue at hand and respect the other person. Don't start arguments over things that cannot be changed.

• Don't attack someone directly but use "I" statements to communicate how you feel. For example, instead of saying, "You make me feel bad" try "I feel bad when you do that".

• Don't drag old arguments into the mix. Rather than looking to past conflicts or grudges and assigning blame, focus on what you can do in the here-and-now to solve the problem.

• Be willing to forgive. Resolving conflict is impossible if you're unwilling or unable to forgive others.

• If tempers flare, take a break. Take a few minutes to relieve stress and calm down before you say or do something you'll regret. Always remember that you're arguing with the person you love.

• Know when to let something go. If you can't come to an agreement, agree to disagree. It takes two people to keep an argument going. If a conflict is going nowhere, you can choose to disengage and move on.