You know he is the right one for you. You love the way he smiles at you and how he tells you funny stories just to make you smile at him. You have a great relationship, so it's terrifying to think you might lose the perfect man.

So how do you make the relationship last? A recent study explains five ways to keep the man of your dreams in your life.

1. Communication

Stay current in their lives. We've all read the story floating around the internet about a man who didn't even know his wife had cancer. This husband and wife stopped talking to each other about the small things so when the big things came around, it was impossible to talk about it to each other.

While you might not be at that level of miscommunication, every couple could benefit from spending more time just talking with each other. Tell your mister the small things about your day - whether it's the funny stories, or the things that are stressing you out and see your relationship flourish.

2. Novelty

Keep your relationship new and fresh, no matter how long you've been together. When you go out, try planning new things (either trying new restaurants or new activities) and try flirting - essentially, just keep trying to impress each other and make the other person feel special. Spending time actually dating moves you away from the habits of everyday life, meaning your relationship won't get stuck in so many of the ruts that tend to ruin a relationship.

3. Eros

Being intimate in a relationship means so much than just the physical sense. Taking time to build each other up emotionally will have numerous benefits to your relationship. The study states that making time for each other to "share feelings, to engage in romantic activities with one another, and to try new things... may strengthen or rekindle that romantic spark that can be helpful in sustaining the fires of love over the long haul."

When you are consistently building the relationship through spending quality time together, it "can foster higher levels of sexual satisfaction in [a] marriage or relationship."

4. Commitment

We all want relationships where the commitment is real. Making time for each other is a simple expression of the level of commitment. Instead of coming home from work and hoping you'll see each other long enough to chat, plan a time each week to actually spend time together. This is the easiest way to ensure that quality time actually happens.

Make sure that if you plan time to be together and can't make it, you opt to reschedule instead of canceling the date all together. Make commitment an essential part of your relationship and he'll be sure to stick around.

5. De-stressing

According to the study, stress is one of biggest threats standing in the way of a strong and happy relationship. When you are stressed about work, school or money you don't appreciate the people around you (which includes your spouse). Instead, let your relationship work for you. Taking time to go on a planned date or spend quality time together creates that time that you don't have to be stressed about other circumstances.

With a little bit of planning you can keep your loved on near no matter what happens.