There are no ‘hacks,’ shortcuts, or secrets to being in a happy, healthy, and fulfilling long-term relationship. The key is to consistently put in the work, communicate well, treat your partner with respect, and look for ways to spark joy whenever you can.

Honesty, trust, and affection form the foundation of your future together. Is it a lot of effort? Sure. But the rewards are well worth it. Especially if you’re looking years and even decades ahead.

A relationship is a partnership that’s grounded in mutual respect. You’re meant to be on the same team, even if you don’t always agree! Someone who actively listens to their partner and tries to understand their perspective has a greater chance at genuine happiness than a person who simply waits for their turn to speak and wants to ‘win’ the argument.

Similarly, a person who’s willing to look for compromises is likely to have a healthier relationship than someone who is overly stubborn and domineering.

The representative of r/RelationshipMemes whom we got in touch with revealed just how powerful memes can be in this day and age. "I believe that memes are one of the most important cultural phenomena ever created by humans," they told us.

"It is a way to connect with each other using shared experiences, entertaining images, and of course an element of laughter. There is no one right way to create a meme, but I personally enjoy clever memes that require a little extra thought to understand," they said.

Bored Panda wanted to get the moderator's thoughts on the elements that lead to a happy, healthy, and successful relationship. "As with memes, relationships are complicated. I am no expert on the topic, but mutual respect and the ability to be happily independent is important," they shared their perspective with us.

"You should have the ability to be happy alone before you decide to be happy with someone else. As long as you try and help your partner be the best version of themselves and they return the favor that's the best kind of relationship."

The redditor opened up to Bored Panda that they haven't been a moderator for very long. They've been helping the team out just for a few months at the time of writing. When they first came aboard, the r/RelationshipMemes subreddit "wasn't in the best shape when I became in charge."

"I am thankful for the other moderators and the community members who all worked their hardest to prevent the subreddit from going to anarchy. Nowadays, some of the most wholesome stuff on Reddit can be found here, and I personally couldn't be happier!"

According to Forbes, the most common reason why couples get divorced is infidelity, with 34% reporting it as the reason why their relationship fell apart. Irreconcilable differences and incompatibility were major factors in 31% of divorces.

Some other main reasons why people’s marriages break apart include a lack of family support, too much conflict, financial stress, as well as a lack of intimacy.

Meanwhile, Marriage.com reports that poor communication skills, a lack of emotional connection, and excessive jealousy rank among the main reasons why couples break up. Toxic behavior, infidelity, money troubles, and constant arguing also impact relationships in a very negative way.

Partners who are unwilling to accept each other as they are, disrespect one another, and have different or very unrealistic expectations for the relationship aren’t in a good place. It’s likely that the relationship will either fall apart or one or both partners will end up unhappy.

Breaking up or getting divorced isn’t the end of the world. It’s a healthier alternative to being around someone who constantly saps you emotionally and mentally.

The r/RelationshipMemes subreddit has been spreading wholesomeness and hilarity on the internet for nearly a decade now. It was created all the way back in October 2015. Nine years later, the community boasts a jaw-dropping 2.8 million members and ranks among the top 1% biggest groups on Reddit.

The team running the community describes it as the home of fun, funny, cute, and positive memes. The goal is to celebrate all sorts of happy and healthy relationships while making folks smile, laugh, and “maybe cringe a little.” The community prides itself on being as inclusive as possible.

With all of that wholesomeness and positivity in mind, it’s not a shock that r/RelationshipMemes takes a strong stance on the type of content it prefers its members to share.

For example, even though you’re posting about relationships, your memes should be ‘clean.’ Any [cough] suggestive [cough] memes need to be marked appropriately.

Meanwhile, there’s no tolerance for overly graphic content or posts that validate toxic behavior. “Negative, complaining, needy, or rude posts about relationships or breakups will be removed,” the moderators of r/RelationshipMemes note.

For example, you shouldn’t be posting anything about cheating, arguments, or relationship red flags.

Your memes should aim to be light and entertaining, not dark and depressing. If you want to make some relationship memes, the r/RelationshipMemes team has a few handy links in the sidebar where you can generate them. So, if you have a good idea you want to share online or want to improve on an already popular meme format, go for it.

Broadly speaking, there are so many posts on social media and the internet, that you constantly find yourself competing against other brilliant content creators. So, it helps if you’re consistent with your posting, stick to a specific niche, and try to put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Case in point, you want to minimize the potential ‘noise’ in your memes.

Try to prioritize visual clarity. That means using easy-to-read fonts, avoiding massive walls of text, and prioritizing high-quality images over pictures full of ‘artifacts.’

Generally, the clearer and more concise your joke or insight is, the easier it is for your idea to connect with your audience.

Which of these relationship memes did you vibe with the most? Were there any that were so relatable that you decided to send them to your partner and friends?

How do you keep your relationship running smoothly? What do you do if you have any major disagreements with your significant other? We’d love to hear from you! Grab a hot drink and a tasty snack and tell us what you think in the comments.