Relationship erosion. No matter how in love you two started, it can happen. It proceeds slowly and you don't even realize it. You both get involved with daily life, go to work, take care of kids and home, then back to work in the morning. Before you know it you wake up next to a roommate instead of a lover.

Now what do you do? How do you make it better? How do you save this relationship? Will it always be this way? Should you break up? These are the questions that are going through your head. But there is hope and here are 5 steps to get your relationship back on track.

1. Decide if the relationship is worth saving.
While almost every relationship can be saved with hard work, both parties must decide that they want to make it work. Because if a partner has opted out and doesn't want to opt back in, there is little that can be done.

Instead of breaking up, many people stay in a relationship because it is convenient or remain in a marriage because of the children. But that means the relationship is missing heart, and isn't that why you got together? How to save a relationship starts with a commitment by both parties that the relationship is worth saving.

2. Diagnose the problem
Yes easier said than done. But unless you both get to the heart of the problem, you will dance around and focus on the symptoms instead. The big white elephant in the room.

For instance, many people think an affair is a problem that causes break ups. In truth, the affair is a symptom of a deeper problem. While most people look at an affair as the problem, the underlying cause of the affair could have been a lack of intimacy in the primary relationship.

If you do not deal with the lack of intimacy, you might be able to keep another affair from starting through the use of guilt, but another problem could pop up because you haven't dealt with the core issue.

And keep in mind intimacy is not just sex, but that close bond between two people–which leads to sex.

3. Talk, share, and communicate.
Once you have identified the core problems, you can begin to share your thoughts. This means both verbalizing your own feelings and listening to your partner's concerns. Hold your partner's hand when you are talking about your problems as a signal that you want to reconnect even when your emotions are swirling.

When your partner talks about things that hurt you remember that he or she is not doing it because he or she wants to hurt you. Rather it is because they want to improve the relationship.

4. Create an Action Plan.
Once you have detailed the problems in your relationship, create an action plan to solve them. Then, take concrete steps on your action plan. If you don't spend time together like you used to, plan a date night every week. Take turns coming up with creative ways to spend an evening together each Wednesday.

If not communicating is the problem, commit to spending 20 minutes before going to bed just talking to one another. Or better yet, spend those 20 minutes in the tub together before bed. What a way to create intimacy!

5. Commit to taking action
Nothing will change without action. Both of you must make a commitment to take action everyday to improve your relationship. So follow through. And be supportive of each other so you both can work on this together.

Follow these steps and you will be amazed at the improvement you will see in your relationship. Best of all, when you wake up in the morning, you will once again find that lover next to you instead of a roommate.

Author Nina Fogg understands the challenges of long term relationships and is committed to helping with tips and information at http://www.HowToKeepLoveAlive.com. Find out more on how to save your relationship or how to save your relationship after an affair.