With Valentine's Day fast approaching and boxes of chocolates flying off the shelves, this is a perfect time to take a personal inventory of the health of your intimate relationships.  So as the years roll on, how do you keep your love alive when the burdens of daily life threaten to push you under the water?  Here are some ideas to consider:

1) Work as a team.  Sharing decisions and having common goals prevents division and nurtures oneness.  Remember though, oneness does not mean that one mate dominates the other. 

2) Praise, praise, praise.  Tell your partner when they are doing things right.  Research suggests that healthy couples do a good job honoring their mate's contribution to the relationship and offering compliments.  You should offer four praise statements for every criticism, fault-finding suggestion, or directive.    

3) Talk the talk.  Sharing deep feelings, and especially being honest and clear with your partner about your needs can go a long way.   Listen with your ears and your heart. 

4) Keep your relationship a priority.  It is so easy in our busy world to let your marriage fall off the top of the list and to let other things crowd into the relationship.  But be careful.  If you fail to nurture that connection, you may start to see a gap in intimacy and understanding between the two of you.   Take time out to go do something fun together!

5) Show your spouse how much you love them.  When we are busy and stressed, we often forget to give them a kiss when they come home, or say "I love you" for no reason.  The little things can go a long way to show them that you care about them, such as back rubs, holding hands, softly caressing their neck.  The little things are the kinds of things that keep passion and connection alive.