Skip to main content
Category

Relationship Dynamics

Be Great Teammates This Holiday Season

Be Great Teammates This Holiday Season

By Relationship Dynamics, Resilience2 Comments

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

November 12, 2025
Love0
Have You Outkicked Your Coverage?

Have You Outkicked Your Coverage?

By Relationship DynamicsOne Comment

If you’re a football fan, you’re probably excited that a new season is upon us. If you’re not, you could be anywhere from apathetic to annoyed to completely unaware. Either way, we’ll cut to the chase – this post is not really about football. But it is about a figure of speech that originates from football: outkicking your coverage. Have you heard this phrase used in the context of relationships?

If you haven’t, it’s typically used to insinuate that a person’s spouse is more attractive or desirable than they are. Alternatives are (for some reason) similarly sports-themed – out of your league or batting above your average are common ones. The truth is, it’s not usually very helpful to judge or speculate about the dynamics of others’ relationships, although sometimes it can help us reflect on our own. So let’s take that road instead. Read More

September 17, 2025
Love0
Bonus Marriage Compatibility Points

Bonus Marriage Compatibility Points

By Relationship Dynamics3 Comments

What are the most important things to agree on in marriage? Typically you’re going to consider things like your values and beliefs, overall meshing of your personalities, and the general picture of what you want your future to look like – whether that includes a big family, career aspirations, living in a small town or a big city, etc. If you and your spouse differ significantly on these topics, it’s going to be difficult to plan a life together – to say the least.

But if you’re aligned on these big things, does that mean it’s all smooth sailing? Eh, not quite. You and your spouse will probably still disagree, albeit on things with lower stakes. That got us thinking…

What are those things that you definitely don’t have to agree on, but that just might make day-to-day life a whole lot easier if you did? Consider them sort of like bonus compatibility points in marriage. Let’s explore some examples. Read More

September 3, 2025
Love0
Ask These Questions When Things Are Feeling Off

Ask These Questions When Things Are Feeling Off

By Relationship Dynamics5 Comments

Sometimes you and your spouse can look at each other and have an entire conversation in just one glance. You’re in tune with each other and on the same page. Other times, this isn’t the case. It might feel like you’re a million miles apart – emotionally, mentally, and physically. You’re snippy and easily annoyed with each other. One misunderstanding leads to another. Neither of you feels like the other person knows where you’re coming from. You’re not necessarily mad at each other, but you can both admit that things feel… off.

Can you relate? Most couples go through periods like this from time to time – it’s normal! Next time things start feeling off between you and your spouse, take some time to ask these questions: Read More

July 23, 2025
Love0
Creating Your Celebration Culture

Creating Your Celebration Culture

By Parenting, Relationship DynamicsOne Comment

Are you someone who celebrates their birthday all month, all week, one day, or not at all? Where does your spouse land?

Chances are you fall into one of these categories, and you probably know people who fit into the others. Are you and your spouse in the same group? If not, how are you navigating those differences?

It seems like a minor thing, but how you celebrate – whether it’s birthdays, holidays, milestones, or accomplishments – runs much deeper. Read More

July 2, 2025
Love0
Daily Forks in the Road of Marriage

Daily Forks in the Road of Marriage

By Relationship Dynamics3 Comments

They say that loving your spouse is a choice you make every day. That’s true, but is it really just based on one single choice? Perhaps more accurately, it is the cumulative effect of many choices you make throughout the course of every day. Small forks in the road can send the dynamics of your marriage down a path of warmth and connection, or quite the opposite. Sort of like those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books that were popular in the 80’s and 90’s, the decisions you make when interacting with your spouse have a way of feeding off the previous and into the next. For better or worse, these seemingly small choices can become ingrained as habits or relationship patterns that stick. Wondering what we mean? Here are 4 forks in the road you might encounter on a daily basis: Read More

June 25, 2025
Love0
The Losing Side of Keeping Score

The Losing Side of Keeping Score (& What to Do Instead)

By Relationship Dynamics6 Comments

You track the stats of your favorite athletes and sports teams. You monitor your daily sleep and activity score on your watch or phone. Heck, you even tally points during a friendly game of Scrabble. Wouldn’t it also make sense to keep score in your marriage?

Most of us probably know the correct answer is no, but that doesn’t mean we don’t do it from time to time, even subconsciously. Maybe you’re keeping a mental tally of how often you’ve done one of your spouse’s usual chores, logging how much time they’ve spent on a solo hobby, or tracking how many times they’ve gotten up with the baby. Scorekeeping comes in many forms, but they all have one thing in common: Read More

April 30, 2025
Love0
4 Fresh Ways to Approach Household Chores

4 Fresh Ways to Approach Household Chores

By Relationship DynamicsNo Comments

We call them household chores – not household fun activities – for a reason. They often feel like the main obstacle standing between us and what we really want to be doing. Plus, they’re constant. As soon as you finish one round of chores it’s time to start up another. If it feels like you and your spouse can never get ahead, you’re not alone. Not only do they add work to your individual plates, but when you’re not aligned on how to handle them, it can strain your marriage as well. If you need to breath some new life into this area, keep reading. We’re sharing four fresh ways to approach household chores. Read More

March 26, 2025
Love0
Helping Each Other Recharge

Helping Each Other Recharge

By Relationship Dynamics3 Comments

Do you have people in your life who require a lot of energy? Maybe it’s a friend who always has lots of drama going on and emotions to match, a family member who is always going 100 miles an hour, or a coworker who has always made you a little nervous. Whether you realize it or not, spending time with these individuals tends to leave you feeling a bit drained. It’s fine in small doses, but you’re always ready for an opportunity to recharge afterward.

And people aren’t the only things that can drain you. Your job, daily responsibilities, and the world around you can tap out your energy reserves in various ways, whether it’s emotionally, mentally, or even spiritually. At the end of a long day, you’re both ready to decompress. Are you and your spouse a source of renewal for each other, or do you unintentionally demand more energy from each other? How can you help each other recharge? How does this benefit your relationship? Here are some aspects to consider: Read More

March 12, 2025
Love0
Close Menu