Problem
The term Relationship Maintenance is the stabilization point between when a relationship begins and when it potentially destructs. There are two elements to relationship maintenance: intentional behaviors and actions used to maintain the relationship (e.g., a text checking in after a big presentation at work, picking up the other person's favorite snack), and everyday interactions that help to sustain the relationship. Talk is the most important element in relationship maintenance.
With this in mind, watch the video from the Gottman Institute about behaviors couples can do to improve their relationships. The video doesn't use the term relationship maintenance, but the examples from the video are clear examples of this concept.
Note that while the video focuses on romantic relationships, the concept of relationship maintenance applies to numerous types of close relationships, including parent/child, sibling, and friendships.
Prompt
For this thread, consider the importance of relationship maintenance in your life. Pick a close relationship (e.g., parent/child, friendship, romantic) and describe how relationship maintenance (or a lack of it) impacts the closeness, or strength, of the relationship. Are there certain types of behaviors that you enact that work better than others? How do you know? And, do you prefer, or respond positively to, certain behaviors more than others? How do you communicate that to the other person?