The Best Love Advice From Relationship Experts

Your cheat sheet to the perfect relationship? Maybe not, but it’s a start!

- Layla Haidrani

Whether you’re single, dating or in a relationship, it can often feel like there are too many ‘rules’ to follow. From navigating social media (do you post a #CouplesGoals selfie or is too soon?) to the confusion of whether you should WhatsApp first or wait three days, everyone seems to have a different opinion on the hard and fast rules of love. But while there may not be a short cut guaranteed to make you find your dream partner or make your relationship stronger, we spoke to several love and relationship experts who revealed the best love advice they’ve given to clients. Notepads at the ready...

1 Practice Self-Love

Before investing in a relationship and expecting it to automatically work, it’s crucial to learn how to truly love and accept yourself first. This will ensure you’re not stifling the relationship by expecting your SO to look after every single one of your individual needs. After all, a healthy relationship is when you’re in charge of your emotions. Bharti Jatti Varma, clinical hypnotherapist and holistic facilitator at Illuminations Wellbeing Centre in Dubai, agrees: “A relationship should not be a crutch—something you need to feel complete. If you seek a relationship to fill a void or are coming from a place of need, that relationship will not give you the fulfillment you seek. Instead, your relationship should enhance your existing feeling of being whole and complete.”

TIP: Although it’s important to practice self-love, Dr Vassiliki Simoglou, Counseling Psychologist at the Maple Tree Center, Dubai, and Assistant Professor at Zayed University, UAE, warns against being too self-centred or too self-sacrificing. “A relationship begins to suffer when you’re unable to find that balance.”

2 Don’t Wait For Prince Charming