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Relationship Basics

3 Times to Get Uncomfortable in Your Marriage

3 Times to Get Uncomfortable in Your Marriage

By Relationship Basics3 Comments

How comfortable are you with… getting uncomfortable? Whether it’s cringing through an incredibly awkward social interaction or having to face one of your biggest fears, people usually don’t like to sit in those feelings for too long or seek them out too often. Of course, everyone is different. People have varying thresholds and tendencies when it comes to taking risks or going outside their comfort zone. But never doing so means you could be missing out on personal growth, instead settling for complacency or stagnation. This not only applies to you individually, but in your marriage as well. Here are three times getting uncomfortable in your relationship is worth it. Read More

November 6, 2024
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Relationship Basics - Part 2

Relationship Basics – Part 2

By Relationship Basics2 Comments

We’re back with Part 2 of our Relationship Basics series. As we mentioned in Part 1, sometimes there’s no substitute for getting back to basics. It’s not uncommon to fall into bad habits over time. Reviewing the fundamentals and continuously working on these foundational relationship skills will help ensure your marriage stays strong. Let’s dive back in! Read More

September 4, 2024
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Relationship Basics Part 1

Relationship Basics – Part 1

By Relationship Basics4 Comments

Kids are heading back to school, building a foundation of the skills and knowledge that will carry them through life. Often at the start of the year and at certain points throughout, teachers will dedicate time to reviewing what’s already been covered. The purpose, of course, is to make sure students have the fundamentals down pat or that they’re retaining information before moving on to something new. When it comes to your marriage, do you need a review?

Sometimes there is no substitute for getting back to basics – those fundamental things that make all the difference in the quality of your relationship. As we go about our daily lives, we sometimes lose sight of these things and fall into bad habits. Over time, you start to feel the effect – things are just off between you or it feels like you’re in a rut. Not to worry! We’ve rounded up all the basics in one place, organized from A-Z. Read More

August 28, 2024
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4 Ways to Be A Better Friend to Your Spouse

4 Ways You Can Be a Better Friend to Your Spouse

By Relationship Basics6 Comments

Have you been a good friend to your spouse lately? This might sound like a silly question – you’re married after all. But hear us out: sometimes we forget to give our partner the same consideration and courtesies that we give our friends. Whether it’s a byproduct of seeing each other almost every day or being each other’s “default” person, it’s not uncommon to start skipping over the small kindnesses that normally characterize friendships. While this can be pretty harmless on occasion, falling into this habit continuously can erode the sense of mutual respect, care, and affection between you.

So how can you be a better friend to your spouse? Keep reading. Read More

August 14, 2024
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5 Keys to Breaking the Defensiveness Cycle

5 Keys to Breaking the Defensiveness Cycle

By Conflict, Relationship Basics9 Comments

Defensiveness in your relationship can be a vicious cycle. One of you makes a comment. The other person gets defensive and responds critically, causing the other person to get defensive in return. The longer this cycle continues, the harder it is to talk through issues and be open, authentic, and vulnerable with each other. So, how do you break out of this pattern? These are the key things to keep in mind: Read More

July 17, 2024
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5 Signs You Need More Time Apart

5 Signs You Need More Time Apart

By Relationship Basics11 Comments

As a married couple, you probably spend a significant amount of time together, and that’s a good thing! Feeling highly connected to each other is a crucial part of a healthy marriage, and it’s hard to build that sense of intimacy when you don’t get to spend much time together. Across this very blog, you’ll find a multitude of posts detailing ways to prioritize togetherness, boost connection, and spend more time together. This begs the question: can you have too much of a good thing?

Surprisingly (or not), the answer is yes. As with many things in life, it’s all about balance. While high levels of closeness and connection can be a good thing, it needs to be counterbalanced by a sense of separateness as well. So how do you know if you need a little more time apart? Here are five signs to look for. Read More

July 10, 2024
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6 reasons newlywed counseling makes sense

6 Reasons Newlywed Counseling Makes Sense

By Premarital, Relationship Basics2 Comments

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you did some form of premarital counseling, and that’s great! It’s a proven and proactive way to get your marriage off on the right foot. Premarital education is where Prepare/Enrich first made its mark over 40 years ago, and it goes without saying that we couldn’t be bigger proponents of it.

But what happens after the wedding, when you start living the real married life? What do you do when you encounter those first big conflicts or need help navigating issues you never could have foreseen before marriage? It seems like this would be a really good time for another check-in on your relationship – in the form of newlywed counseling. Read More

June 12, 2024
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Communication Mistakes We Make When We're Stressed

4 Communication Mistakes We Make When We’re Stressed

By Relationship Basics4 Comments

You missed an appointment you’d been waiting on for months because the car is acting up again. You just got a call from your son’s school about some behavior issues, and – oh look, the dog threw up on the carpet. ARGH! You’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed, to say the least. Now, your spouse walks in looking serious and wants to talk.

Let’s hit pause here for a second. What do you think happens next? It’s probably pretty safe to assume that you aren’t in the best state of mind for a serious conversation with your partner. In fact, here are four communication mistakes we tend to make when we’re stressed out or overwhelmed. Read More

June 5, 2024
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Decision Fatigue & Marriage

Decision Fatigue and Marriage

By Relationship Basics10 Comments

“What should we have for dinner tonight?”

It’s an innocent question, yet it’s one that couples everywhere can probably relate to dreading at some point. Your spouse poses the question and your immediate feeling is UGH. Maybe you get disproportionately annoyed and take it out on them. Or perhaps it feels like just another thing piled on your already full plate (no pun intended). What is so triggering about it? Is it really about figuring out dinner? More often than not, it’s tied to a broader issue. Read More

May 22, 2024
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