Learn to open up again. Many relationships fail because couples simply stop sharing their thoughts and the details of their daily lives with each other. One day, you may decide not to tell your girlfriend about something that went wrong at the office, and the next, you may feel like you have nothing to talk about anymore.
Be honest. Learn to share your fears, anxieties, and insecurities with your loved one again. But don't forget to share the positive things in your life, too. If you're really excited about a new career move or a new friendship, don't keep quiet.
Share even the smaller details of your day. Slowly let your loved one back in by talking about what you've been up to that day, how your work week went, or what's going on with your friends.
Make time for opening up. You should have time to open up every day, whether it's during dinner, before bed, or even during a long walk in the middle of the day.
2
Work on compromising. A lot of relationships fail because both people feel that it's better to be right than to be happy. But if you want to save your relationship, you have to work on reaching a common ground with your significant other and to discuss big decisions in a way that takes both people into account.
Make big decisions together. If you want to make things work, don't ever make a big decision without taking your loved one into account.
Have a rational discussion before any big decision. Sit down and discuss your point of views, even making lists of your reasons for wanting to make a certain decision. Learn to balance your desires, and see if you can find a way that makes both of you happy. If your loved one gets his way, understand why the decision is important to him.
Make sure that both people know how to compromise. Don't be the person who always gives in, and don't be the person who always gets his way, either.
3
Stop fighting. Many relationships fall apart because couples spend most of their time together arguing about everything from which brand of toothpaste to use to how they can make time for each other. If you want things to work, you have to learn to stop fighting over everything, and to handle disagreements with poise.
Don't yell. Raising your voice will never achieve anything except making the other person mad.
Learn to speak calmly and slowly. You'll be better able to communicate your thoughts if you don't rush it.
Learn to listen. Part of the reason people yell is because they feel that their side of the story isn't being heard. Take turns speaking and voicing your concerns instead of talking at once.
Don't pick fights. Don't pick fights just because you're feeling mad about something else. This will only make things worse.
4
Don't be passive-aggressive. If something is actually bothering you, then speak up instead of keeping it all in. If you don't share what's wrong, then you'll only make things worse by fuming, staying silent, and taking your anger out on your significant other without him knowing why. Though it may be tempting to silently fume because it's easier than having a conversation, it won't make things any easier for you.
If you think your significant other is being passive-aggressive, ask him what's wrong. Be open about it, and hopefully he'll tell you what he's feeling.
Don't write your feelings in a note or an email -- this is also passive-aggressive and avoids real communication.