You probably say “thank you” many times each day, but gratitude is about more than simply uttering these two words out of habit. It’s about feeling that sense of gratefulness deep within your heart, internalizing it in a way that shapes your entire mindset and perspective – and your marriage, as well. The positive effects of gratitude have the power to send positive ripples throughout your relationship – here’s how: Read More
’Tis the season for leaning into gratitude and letting generosity lead the way. If you’re wondering how you and your spouse can give back together this year, look no further. Here are 5 ways to strengthen your bond in a fulfilling way. Read More
It’s that time of year again, when we find ourselves staring at the calendar in bewilderment. How have the month’s flown by so fast? Is the holiday season really around the corner already?!
While it’s a favorite time of year for many, it’s also a season that brings lots of baggage along with it. Difficult emotions and negative experiences can ride right alongside the positive ones. It can be a lot to navigate individually, let alone as a couple or family. Fortunately, you can avoid letting the holidays strain your marriage. Here’s how you and your spouse can be good teammates throughout the season: Read More
Have you faced adversity in your life that could have sent you spiraling down a negative path? A career setback, an illness or injury, or even just a run of bad luck has the potential to leave you discouraged, defeated, or harboring a pessimistic view on life. But that outcome is not predetermined. In fact, it can make you a stronger, more resilient person. Your marriage is no different. You and your spouse will go through things that can either strain – or strengthen – your marriage. Here are 3 examples: Read More
Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in negative patterns in your marriage? Maybe it’s a cycle of criticism and defensiveness, or resentment that builds until a blowout argument. You might feel discouraged – how did you even get into the pattern in the first place? All it takes is a couple of instances to set a precedent. A pattern forms, and it’s hard to break out of.
What can you do to avoid this? One way is to be more intentional about establishing positive patterns instead. Here are four examples: Read More
Do you bring out the best in your spouse? It might be hard to know exactly. You often hear happy couples say they bring out the best in each other, but what does it really mean? Does it happen organically, or is it something you can work on? While there is no perfect formula, spouses that bring out the best in each other typically do these 7 things: Read More
Imagine you and your spouse are out celebrating a friend’s birthday. You’re chatting away catching up with another couple, and they ask you if you’re going on any vacations this year. You immediately tense up. They wouldn’t know this, but this has been a sore spot in your marriage for the last couple of months. Your spouse shoots you a look; you shoot them one back.
Have you been in this situation before? A major point of contention between you and your spouse comes up in front of others. Maybe it’s something you’ve been arguing about, like in the example. Or it could be an elephant in the room that you haven’t discussed yet. Either way, you’re caught off-guard and put on the spot. Maybe there’s awkward silence, or you can feel your emotions start to bubble up. How do you respond? Here are a few tips for handling hot topics in social settings. Read More
It’s inevitable: the honeymoon period wears off, and you have that first big argument as a married couple. If you were expecting butterflies, rainbows, and happily ever after, it can come as a bit of a surprise. Even if you had a more realistic perspective, it can throw you for a loop.
The truth is, it’s normal for new conflicts to arise once you’re married, and for existing ones to pop up again. Marriage isn’t a cure all. In many ways it can feel it adds complexity to issues and ups the stakes when it comes to resolving them. But conflict is nothing to be afraid of. In fact, working through these common points of contention as newlyweds can actually be good for your marriage in the long run. Read More
Does it ever feel like you and your spouse are operating from different playbooks? Do you feel like you need to call a time-out so you can get on the same page? When you’re stressed out about the budget, but your spouse is focused solely on meal planning for the week, how do you move forward productively as a team?
We’ve long touted the benefits of a regular relationship check-in. After all, a strong marriage is the foundation and heart of your family. But we also recognize that a lot more goes into keeping a household running smoothly, and when you’re not aligned on those other things, it affects your relationship, too. That’s where a regular marriage meeting comes in. While a typical relationship check-in is all about – you guessed it – your relationship, a marriage meeting can be a more all-encompassing chance to get aligned on the other things that make up your daily life together. Here are some tips to creating a marriage meeting that works. Read More
Have you ever had an interaction with your spouse that unexpectedly turned into a fight, all because of a communication mistake? You might know it’s happening even as the words are leaving your mouth. You can feel your spouse’s vibe change in response. You wish you could take it back and start over, but it’s too late. What’s done is done. Or is it?
While life is full of situations in which you only get one shot, marriage offers up many opportunities when a second chance can be just what you need to turn an otherwise negative outcome into a positive. When you know you’ve just made a poor choice in communicating with your spouse, requesting a do-over in the moment is an impactful way to quickly course-correct the interaction. Here are 3 times to ask for one: Read More
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