Elizabeth Laura Nelson

As a person who writes about relationships for a living, I might be one of the people least in need of all this well-meaning advice, which usually amounts to clichés and can even veer into the territory of outright insults. What I need – what most of us need – is for people to hear me, and to trust me.

Are you drowning in negativity?

Real self-care: Forget pedicures and bubble baths.

No regrets about having kids? Maybe it’s time we all came clean.

No energy at 3PM? The mid-afternoon slump is a well-known phenomenon.

How do you deal with feeling lonely; are you okay with having alone time?

Parents — we’re the worst.

Reading in bed together, while it might not be a major milestone — like marriage or having children — truly is a significant event in a relationship.

Is it possible that talking about your relationship less could actually be the key to making it better? Sometimes, stop talking and just let yourselves be.

The thing is, when you fight with your partner, it’s your amygdala that takes over. It's the part of the brain that processes fear, and it’s powerful.