Building a strong and lasting relationship is not always easy. There will be ups and downs but couples who avoid these five relationship traps are more likely to last forever.

1. Killing the trust

There are many ways trust can be ruined in a relationship. This includes cheating, lying, a lack of transparency, etc. When you have trouble believing the words that come out of your partner’s mouth or if you don’t trust that he has your best interests at heart, then that relationship will suffer. The best solution is to avoid this trap altogether. Be open, loyal and faithful to your partner.

2. Letting anger overtake them

Sure, there will be fights but how you handle them matters. When you let anger overtake you and you say things that are cruel or build a wall between you and him, you’re killing the relationship. Channel your anger into solving the problem and try not to use it to hurt each other. Those words, even when spoken in anger, are never forgotten.

3. Avoiding the difficult conversations

One of the relationship traps most people fall into is an avoidance of talking about the tough stuff. Your problems don’t go away if you ignore them. Be brave and have the hard conversations. You will be better for it.

4. Hitting below the belt

No matter how upset you are, one of the biggest relationship traps to avoid is to attack below the belt. Being vicious with your words/actions or threatening to leave abandon your partner isn’t the way to get what you want. Keep the fight fair.

5. Letting the emotional distance grow

When you’ve been together for a while, you may notice there are times when you don’t really feel a strong emotional attachment to your partner. This comes and goes. The key is to not let the emotional detachment phase last too long or the other person will feel unloved or rejected. When you notice this distance, then it may be time to go on a special date, take a trip or do something special to rekindle the love.

For more tips, here are the top mistakes women make in relationships.

How have you been able to deal with argument and disagreement in your relationship? Please share your tips with us, You can reach me via ifydaviesng@withinnigeria.com ..