There are many factors that, together, determine how deep your relationship with someone can be. I’ve been listing them, one at a time, for a while, so here is a consolidated list of five ways to deepen your relationship, with links to the more in-depth articles.

Separating The Who From The What

The first thing you need to do, if you want a deeper relationship with someone, is separate out who they are from what they do. Any relationship based on what someone does is based on a falsehood, because they may have many, many different reasons for doing what they do.

Communicate More

If your relationship isn’t deep enough, then you need to increase the amount and depth of your communication. This means opening yourself up, allowing the person more opportunity to hurt you. It also means starting talks even when you don’t feel like it.

Remember The Message Received May Differ

There are differences between the ways that people receive and send messages, particularly between men and women. Make sure that you keep this in mind when you are choosing how you send the message you want them to receive, and when you receive a message from someone else… they may not mean it the way you subconsciously receive it.

Don’t Let Communication Stop

Don’t let communication fade into a lower priority. If you let the amount or depth of your communication fall, the depth of your relationship will slowly fade, too. It’s an easy habit to form, and a hard habit to break… so watch out for it.

The Power Of Human Touch

Make sure that you make physical contact with the people that you want to keep close to you. One touch can do the work of a hundred, or even a thousand, words. Keep the touch appropriate to the current depth of your relationship, the desired depth of your relationship, and what is comfortable to both of you.