Sara and Anna are back with the 5th and final part of their special mini series, sharing ten practical relationship tips to help couples strengthen connection as they head into 2026.

Before diving in, there’s post Italy glow, food chat, sunshine, tiramisu, champagne, and that familiar January reality check where most New Year’s resolutions are already wobbling. Then it’s back to the heart of the series with the final two tips, the ones that shape long term security, shared direction, and the everyday choice to stay connected.

Tip 9 Share goals, money, and dreams: you’re building one life, not two

Sara and Anna explore why future planning can feel heavy, especially if you are already deep in “work mode” with budgets, reviews, targets and life admin. For some people, dreaming feels unsafe, because hope has come with disappointment before. For others, dreaming is easy, but turning it into action is where things fall down.

They talk about:

• why planning can feel like another job, not romance

• how fear of disappointment can make dreaming feel risky

• starting small, planning the next six months rather than the next 20 years

• how “planning is sexy” when it creates safety and follow through

• the difference between dreaming and building the bridge back to reality

• the value of the “what would we do if we won a million” conversation, and how it reveals priorities and shared values

• shoulds vs wants, and why some goals are not truly yours

• why couples drift when they live like two separate lives with no shared direction

This tip is about creating a shared roadmap, not a rigid spreadsheet. It’s about remembering that being a couple means building something together, with enough honesty to talk about money, trips, priorities, retirement, and the life you are trying to create side by side.

Tip 10 Choose love daily, even when it’s not easy

The final tip is about the real relationship work, the moments when you feel tired, irritated, misunderstood, hormonal, or simply not very generous. Sara and Anna talk about how love is not just a feeling, it’s a daily choice, shown in small actions and soft repairs.

They talk about:

• the difference between “I don’t like you right now” and “I still love you”

• how the messy moments can pull you closer if you work through them

• independence vs interdependence, and learning to let your partner help you

• why small daily gestures keep the “pilot light” of love switched on

• how disconnection and repeated uncaring behaviour can switch that light off over time

• the power of naming what you feel, rather than acting it out

• why communication matters even more when emotions feel irrational or delayed

• asking the question that brings you back onto the same team, “What do you need right now?”

This tip is about playing the long game. Not winning the argument, not proving a point, but protecting the relationship you want to still be living in a year, five years, ten years from now.

Reflection prompts

• Where are we avoiding future conversations because they feel too much like work, and what is one small way we could start?

• What is one shared goal for the next six months that would bring us closer?

• When I feel disconnected, do I withdraw, or do I name what’s going on and ask for what I need?

• What is one small “choose love” action I can take today, even if I do not feel like it?

Final thought

Planning can be romantic, and love is a choice you make again and again.

This is the final part, your full set of 10 Golden Tips for 2026 is now complete. Save these episodes, revisit them, and pick one tip to practise each month.

There is always a way to take one small step back towards connection, even if you start on your own.

Till next time

Stay connected

Sara Liddle . info@inflori.co.uk . www.inflori.co.uk

Anna Stratis . coachdocanna@gmail.com . www.coachdocanna.com

Sara and Anna are back with Part 4 of their special five-part mini-series, sharing ten practical relationship tips to help couples strengthen connection as they head into 2026.

Before diving in, there’s life-chat and laughter, septic tank chaos in Greece, emergency café bathroom trips, winter sunshine in Florence, wine windows, stretchy dresses and pre-holiday excitement. Then it’s back to the heart of the series, with two powerful tips that shape emotional closeness and trust.

Tip 7 — Touch Often: connection lives in everyday affection

Sara and Anna explore why physical touch matters far beyond sex, and how small gestures of closeness can regulate the nervous system, soothe stress and rebuild emotional connection when life has become tense or distant.

They talk about:

• why long hugs can increase life satisfaction and reduce stress
• the difference between sexual intimacy and non-sexual affection
• how hugs and touch support connection through hormones, safety and softness
• the “invisible barrier” couples create when they withdraw touch during conflict
• how withholding affection can accidentally choke off connection
• why many couples still want closeness but ego and hurt get in the way

They also reflect on familiar moments many couples will recognise, sleeping back-to-back when you’re still angry, waiting for the other person to make the first move, or silently hoping your partner will suddenly change.

Even the smallest gesture can shift the energy, fingertips touching in bed, a pinky-hold, a hand on the arm a quiet signal of “I’m not happy right now… but I’m still here.”

This tip is about choosing connection, even when it feels uncomfortable or imperfect.

Tip 8 — Protect Each Other’s Dignity in Public: be their safe space

The second tip is all about respect, loyalty and emotional safety in front of others.

Sara and Anna talk about:

• how easy it is to make small digs, eye-rolls or throwaway comments in public
• why criticising or mocking your partner in front of others erodes trust
• how “sharing frustrations” with friends can damage connection
• the long-term impact of embarrassment, shaming or exposing private issues
• the importance of addressing problems privately, not publicly
• how childhood models of conflict can influence adult behaviour

They also explore the flip side, how powerful it feels when your partner:

• backs you up in a group
• stands beside you when others make a dig
• speaks positively about you
• celebrates your strengths in public

Being your partner’s safe place doesn’t mean ignoring problems, it means choosing dignity first, and saving difficult conversations for private spaces, where repair and understanding can happen with compassion.

Reflection prompts

• Where am I withholding affection to protect my ego, rather than protecting our connection?
• What is one small act of touch I could offer today, even if things feel tense?
• Do I protect my partner’s dignity in public or do small comments sometimes slip through?
• How would it feel to actively show pride in them when others are around?

Final thought - Always do the right thing, even if it feels difficult.

Next in the series: Part 5 will complete the series with the final two tips to round out your 10 Keys to a Great Relationship in 2026.

There is always a way to take one small step back towards connection, even if you start on your own.

FREE Connection Guide >> Download Today

Till Next Time

Stay Connected Sara Liddle — www.inflori.co.uk Anna Stratis — www.coachdocanna.com

In Part 3 of this special mini series, Sara and Anna share rules 5 and 6 from their list of ten. These are the kind of relationship truths that land, then quietly stick with you for days.

They begin with a quick catch-up about choppy paddleboarding conditions, warm weather that does not feel remotely Christmassy, and the fact that Christmas is fast approaching, whether either of them feels ready or not. Then they dive into the next two golden rules to help you strengthen your relationship in 2026.

Sara and Anna unpack why most of us are quicker to criticise than to appreciate, and how easy it is to fall into “you always” and “you never” language, especially around everyday stress and household routines.

They explore:

• Why we tend to gloss over the good because of our natural negativity bias
• How appreciation often stays inside our heads, even when we feel it
• The impact of receiving messages that are only logistics, not affection
• Why criticism delivered as an attack almost always leads to defensiveness
• How to start gently by naming what you have noticed and getting curious about what is going on underneath

They also offer a simple challenge you can do right now: pause the episode and send your partner a message of appreciation about something small they did in the last 24 hours.

This rule becomes a heartfelt conversation about vulnerability, emotional safety, and what it takes to repair after a moment you are not proud of.

They explore:

• Why apologising can feel physically uncomfortable, especially if you never saw it modelled growing up
• How a genuine apology creates safety, and often invites your partner to own their part too
• The difference between being wrong and taking responsibility for your actions
• The biggest apology mistake is using the word “but”
• Why over-apologising can drain the power from the words, especially when it becomes people pleasing

They also share a practical tip: slow it down, make eye contact, and say “I am sorry”, not a rushed, automatic “sorry”.

• What is one thing your partner did recently that you appreciated, but did not say out loud?
• Where does your ego tend to show up most in your relationship? If you needed to repair today, what would a clean apology sound like, with no “but”?

Next in the series: Part 4 will cover rules 7 and 8, as you keep moving through the full set of 10 tips for a stronger 2026 together.

There is always a way to take one small step back towards connection, even if you start on your own.

FREE Connection Guide >> Download Today

Till Next Time

Stay Connected Sara Liddle — www.inflori.co.uk Anna Stratis — www.coachdocanna.com