Ask yourself how appreciated you feel in your personal relationships. Hopefully, the answer makes you happy. If not, do not immediately rush to judgment. Instead, ask yourself another question: how often do you go out of your way to show others how much you appreciate them?

Showing appreciation goes a long way in personal relationships. Unfortunately, the busyness of life makes it too easy to take other people for granted. Those we are closest to us can feel quite neglected even though we spend so much time with them. And when that happens, a lack of appreciation could be the root of the problem.

Relationships & More is a Westchester County, New York counseling center that offers couples’ therapy, marriage counseling, adolescent counseling, and so forth. They offer the following tips for showing the appreciation that is so vital to healthy relationships:

Say ‘Thank You’

Healthy relationships are enjoyed by people who tend to do nice things for one another. It turns out that something as simple as saying ‘thank you’ goes a long way toward showing your appreciation for the things your partner does. You obviously appreciate your partner sending a thank you your way, so reciprocate.

Check In from Time to Time

Showing appreciation has extra special meaning when it is not prompted by anything in particular. One way to do that is to check in from time to time. For example, take the first few minutes of your lunch hour to call your partner just to say ‘hi’. Or perhaps send a text message just before you get in the car to head home from work.

Checking in from time to time lets the other person know you are thinking of them. It also adds substance to the idea that you have nothing to hide. You are more than willing to check in and let your partner know what is happening – and ask about what might be happening with them.

Make Time to Disconnect

Technology is a major hindrance to modern relationships. Unfortunately, it is too easy to pull out the phone to check social media feeds and email. It is too easy to get distracted by all the electronic gadgets that make life so interesting in the modern era. Knowing all of that, one of the best ways to show your appreciation for other people is to make the time to disconnect.

When you sit down for dinner, turn off your phone, your computer, and the television. Have an actual conversation instead. When you are on vacation, do the same thing. In fact, make the effort to clearly separate a certain amount of leisure time during which you devote yourself to the experience of spending time with those you love.

Make the Effort to Touch

There is something unique about physical touch. In couples’ relationships, there is a tendency to touch less often as the relationship grows older. Just making the effort to initiate touching again can go a long way toward showing appreciation.

As you walk by your partner in the kitchen, a gentle touch on the arm can work wonders. Holding hands as you ride in the car can make any bad day a good one. A gentle stroke of the hair or nibble on the earlobe is a reminder that you are thinking of the other person. In short, do not reserve touch for the bedroom. The power of touch far exceeds the sexual relationship.

Showing appreciation is an important part of keeping relationships strong. Hopefully, the tips offered here will motivate you to show those you love how much you appreciate them.