5 Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage
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Set aside time to plan weekly and discuss your schedules.
Set aside time each week to discuss your family’s schedule, any issues that have come up, and your expectations for one another in managing everything that will happen in your week. It sounds basic, but knowing who is doing what can alleviate any annoyances you have with one another over the logistics of taking care of your family’s needs and your kids schedules.
Consider having a shared google calendar so you can clearly see what is happening with one another’s schedules and make notes you both can see.
- Make date night a priority.
According to The Gottman Institute’s research-based approach to relationships, we should have 2 hours a week devoted to dates with our spouse in order to keep a healthy relationship. Setting aside time with our spouse without distraction helps us reconnect with one another and continue to have fun together.
- Practice small acts of kindness.
Performing small kind gestures for your spouse regularly will show your spouse how much you mean to them. Ideas include:
- Sending a thoughtful text
- Occasionally buying a small gift or flowers
- Helping out around the house
- Going out of your way to do something you don’t usually do
- Giving your spouse a night off from the kids
- Giving compliments
- Saying “I love you”.
Learn your spouse’s love language and you will better know what will be the most meaningful way you can show your love and appreciation to them.
- Touch one another daily.
Take time to kiss and hug your spouse daily when you can. Hold hands when taking a walk or watching TV. Make time to be close to one another and you will feel more connected again.
- Discuss problems openly and honestly.
We all know that communication is key to a happy relationship. Continue to work on how you communicate with one another, especially when you are having a conflict. Take time to cool down before discussing a heated topic. Plan out what you are going to say and how you will say it without condemning the other person and putting them on the defense. And if you fail at communicating in a productive way, apologize and move forward.
Read the complete article available at Thrive Global!
Reflection:
Do you practice these within your relationship/marriage?
#Relationships #Marriage #Communication
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@comfortableNight4463
i hope these work for someone ........ tried all of it.
I did all of these and unfortunately all the articles/ books / therapy ......... no one tells you that yes LOVE DIES even being tended ... and you cannot bring it back there is no defibrillator to zap you back into rhythm.
said "i love you" all the time .............until i realized saying it was just automatic ....but i no longer felt it
did things for partner all the time only got a brief thanks.........his efforts back were always off the mark but i was supposed to throw a parade for the gesture.
Date night....LOL....... or any night out was a disaster ..........because we fell into the " what do you want to do / no what do you want to do " matrix ...... Never wanted to do same thing........same with "what type of food do you feel like no what do you want " became an hour long discussion of restaurants and settling for in the middle and both unhappy and ticked off.
we used to touch even when unhappy with each other ........... but literally as time has passed and their refusal to change......... their touch makes my skin crawl.
discussing issues only works if BOTH participate as they never were honest or told truth about how they felt....... Many people don't the pretend / say what they think you want and the corpse of a marriage rots quickly
@toughTiger6481 I understand. I'm so sorry that nothing worked. I believe if both partners want the marriage to succeed and put in the appropriate effort, there might be a chance. But sometimes the best option is to let go. Whatever works for each person/each marriage is different. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!