Mr Pea says: There are 7.5 billion people on this earth. Your partner isn’t very special. However it is your job to make them feel that way. 

Is Valentine’s Day important? Absolutely, is it necessary, absolutely not. Valentine’s Day is a day of the year where partners endeavour to make each other feel special. It’s not Valentine’s Day that people love. It’s feeling special.

That’s the magic ingredient, and as an Olympic sprinter is measured by his speed, so should a partner be measured on their ability to make his or her partner feel special.

There’s another thing that sets Olympic Partners apart. It’s this unstoppable drive to make your partner feel special that shapes the Usain Bolts of the relationship world.

Here’s 7 things you can do to make your partner feel more special:

1. Making your partner feel special is not about you: Are they the type that like surprises or do they become incapacitated by anxiety at the thought of something unplanned? Do they love receiving gifts or prefer you spend time with them instead?  Tailor your romantic gesture to the things they love and make them feel comfortable.

TIP If you are not sure what they love, ask them.

2. Always take the time to say “I love you.” I love you is not an end tag. It’s the single most effective way to make someone feel special. However there is a caveat. You need to feel it while you say it. If you are blah about it, they will feel blah about hearing it.

TIP: When saying it in person, make eye contact and when saying it over the phone emphasise the words.

3. Thank them for every single thing they do: Always show appreciation, even for the small things. I’m not kidding, even if they pass you the salt, you say thank you and you mean it!

TIP: There are many gratitude exercises on the internet. Once you get how amazing it is that anyone would do anything for you, you will become a pro at appreciation.

4. Do things that let them know you are thinking about them: Find ways to let them know you are thinking of them. It doesn’t need to take much time and could be as simple as sending them a message or voice note.

odd-compliment5. Acknowledge, acknowledge and acknowledge some more: Olympic level partners take every opportunity to acknowledge their partner for thing
s big and small. If they did something great at work tell them how proud you are. If they managed to reverse park the car, make a big deal about it or if they finally remembered your birthday, celebrate it with them.

6. Get excited about what is happening in their life: Okay cricket might be the most boring sport in the world but your partner just made a hundred! Get excited about it! Showing excitement encourages them to share about what they love (a favourite pastime of human beings). Being excited in what lights your partner up is a far better gift than roses and chocolates.

7. Do little things to make your partner’s life easier: Showing someone they are special is not all about over-the-top grand gestures. It’s the little things you do for them. Things like making the bed or folding their clothes when you know they are busy.

Consistently doing these things will undoubtedly win you gold at the Partner Olympics.

What do you do to make your partner feel special? Let us know in the comments below.