Use positive psychology to transform your relationship in four steps, authors suggest

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. That’s according to a husband and wife team who’ve spent the last decade researching positive psychology and working on a book trying to distil the secrets to relationship success into bite-size rules. According to Suzie Pileggi Pawelski and James Pawelski, authors of "Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love that Lasts," positive psychology or “the scientific study of what makes individuals and communities thrive,” is key to a happy relationship - and of the habits that contribute to a healthy relationship, they told The Independent: “there are four in particular that are especially important for relationship well-being: “Promoting a healthy passion, cultivating and prioritising positive emotions, taking time to mindfully savour experiences together, and seeking out strengths in one another.” And while the habits may seem simple, they are effective. Suzie told The Independent that simple ways to cultivate this harmonious passion can be through sharing secrets, “A meaningful childhood memory, a vivid dream, or a hope for the future,” maintaining life outside of your relationship, continuous work on your relationship, and looking for ways to “connect, not compete.” Because just as any muscle requires exercise to keep it functioning correctly, so too do relationships. open image in gallery These four steps can help build a love that lasts For Suzie and James, they saw how positive psychology could help strengthen their relationship while writing their book.