Britt Robertson’s Secret to a Happy Long-Term Relationship Is One We All Need to Keep in Mind

In her upcoming flick Mother’s Day, Britt Robertson plays a young mom struggling with cold feet in her relationship. Um, maybe some of us out there can relate, but this is *not* a case of art imitating life. The actress has been in a relationship with Teen Wolf actor Dylan O’Brien since 2011 when they co-starred in the film The First Time. We’re so used to celebrity breakups that we had to fact check this one when we chatted with Britt — and get her tips for keeping a long-term relationship going strong.
Real talk: Dating as a 20-something faces several challenges. This is the point in many people’s lives where career can often take the driver’s seat. For Britt and boyfriend Dylan, they’re definitely not immune to these challenges either. Currently, Dylan is starring in the Mazerunner franchise, and Britt is playing Julia Roberts’ daughter (!) in Garry Marshall’s upcoming flick.
Even so, Britt’s number one piece of advice is a pretty simple one that we can all keep in mind: communication. “I’ve learned all of my little tidbits about relationships from people who’ve been in relationships for a long time. Everything I always hear is just communication — you should be talking about almost everything,” says Britt. “And I know some people are like, ‘yeah there’s something he said I’m too scared to talk about,’ but I’m not that kind of person. The thing I have to be in any relationship is I have to be informed.”
“This is how you can understand someone else’s side — if you communicate and understand where they’re coming from,” she tells us. “I would say, talk about everything, even if it’s not something that you find important. It’s important to talk regardless.” That’s certainly good advice – even for the less-than-chatty Cathys out there among us.
While communication is SO vital for her, that doesn’t translate into being overly communicative with each other on social media. Britt has a pretty matter-of-fact stance on the whole thing. “I don’t find use for it anymore. It didn’t really do anything for me,” Britt says. In fact, her last tweet was from two years ago and, for her, not tweeting has become something of a game. “I find it really cool now, like how long can I go on Twitter without tweeting?”
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This doesn’t mean she rules out all platforms, however. “I like Instagram because you can post pictures and look at pictures. The tweeting, I don’t really have anything important to say on a regular basis that I feel like I need to share with however many followers out there following me. I kind of, aside from Instagram, just like laying low.”
And laying low is certainly something she’s planning on doing a lot of now that Mother’s Day has wrapped. She’s going to be hanging in her favorite pair of Roots sweatpants ($68) — a gift from her agent and her “favorite person on the planet” — and catching up on her Netflix queue (“Fixer Upper is genius!” she shares). “I don’t even know what I’m going to be doing tomorrow,” she tells us. We can guess one thing she won’t be doing. Tweeting.
What’s the best relationship advice you’ve received? Tweet us @BritandCo!
(Photos via Jeffrey Mayer/Getty + George Pimental/Getty)
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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