Disappointment is pretty much a part of life. Maybe you’re disappointed in a movie you had high hopes for or in the way your homemade cheesecake turned out. You might feel displeased for a short period of time, but it’s nothing you’ll lose sleep over. Other times, disappointment can run deeper, such as when someone you love – like your spouse – lets you down in a way that feels significant and personal. In these situations, you may not get over it so quickly. So what should you do? Read More
Is there an issue that you and your spouse seem to perpetually disagree on?
If it’s a minor, superficial thing – how to correctly load the dishwasher or whether the toilet paper should go over or under – it’s probably no big deal. You might have a good-natured debate about it or tease each other about doing it wrong. At the end of the day, no one is losing sleep over it.
But what happens when you simply can’t reach agreement on a bigger issue, one that has a significant impact on your marriage and family? While you might try avoiding the topic, more than likely you’ll need to face it. And if you’ve never been able to see eye to eye on it, that can feel daunting, frustrating, and disheartening. You might find yourself wondering, “Where do we go from here? Will we always fight about this? Is it going to damage our relationship?”
Luckily, there are ways to break this stalemate and begin working toward a resolution together. The key is working toward alignment – not total agreement. Unsure how to start moving in that direction? Here are some tips. Read More
Do you always have to leave the cabinet doors open? You’re hogging all the covers again! Shhh, can you just watch the movie instead of asking a million questions? Oh my gosh, you are so indecisive!
If you and your spouse don’t have habits that annoy each other, are you even married? Just kidding… kind of. The truth is, while the habits can vary greatly, the irritation can get real. Sometimes we could all use some extra help in handling them in positive ways. Here are six peacekeeping tips for dealing with those annoying habits. Read More
It’s easy to have idyllic ideas about how you’ll handle conflict with your partner…when you’re not in the middle of it. Throw in a triggering comment and rising emotions, and suddenly all your best intentions seem to go right out the window. Before you know it, you’re stewing in anger and dwelling on the wrong things. Instead of working on repairing your connection, you’re doing the exact opposite and freezing each other out.
Suddenly trying to change the way you approach conflict with your spouse in the heat of the moment is a challenge for many reasons. That’s why it can be beneficial to reflect on the changes you’d like to make ahead of time – when you’re not in the midst of an argument. Does it mean you’ll be perfect in the moment? Probably not. But it can help you course-correct more quickly, setting the stage for more productive discussion and resolution.
Here are three mindset shifts to make before your next fight. Read More
When you think about being curious, what comes to mind? Cats? Kids? George? All joking aside, curiosity is a trait that we don’t often put a lot of thought into, especially as adults. While some people are naturally more inquisitive than others, striving to be more curious is not as common as say, working on being more punctual or organized. That’s why you might be surprised to learn that curiosity can improve your marriage. Keep reading to find out how. Read More
When you think of prioritizing your marriage, what comes to mind? Raise your hand if date nights and quality time is your gut response. Don’t get us wrong; it’s a great answer. Continuing to date each other and devoting intentional time to connect is crucial to nurturing intimacy and friendship. However, this isn’t the only way. There are other – often underrated – ways to prioritize your marriage every day. Read More
Have you ever experienced a period of time where you feel more like roommates or coworkers than spouses? You’re not fighting, but that deeper sense of intimacy and connection is missing. For whatever reason, you just aren’t on the same wavelength. What happened? And can it be fixed?
Thankfully, the answer is often yes. Here are five fixable reasons you might be feeling disconnected from your spouse: Read More
As the year wraps up, it’s always interesting to look back on the things that greatly influenced or played a role in your life over the past twelve months. Were you surprised by how many times you streamed that one song? Ready to cut down on screen time next year after seeing your device statistics quantified? Feeling accomplished over how many days you worked out?
When it came to our blog posts, you were all about ditching bad relationship habits while hanging onto the good, taking time to connect and reflect, and knowing you’re not alone when it comes to newlywed conflict. Here are the top five posts, all rounded up in one place. Let’s count them down. Read More
Is conflict with your spouse putting a damper on your holiday spirit? If you and your spouse are arguing more than usual lately, it’s understandable. There’s something about this season that can stir up issues for even the most harmonious of couples. Here are five common sources of holiday conflict – and how to resolve them. Read More
The holidays are a-knocking. Are you and your spouse ready to answer the door? Or are you hiding in the basement with the lights off?
That might sound dramatic, but the reality is, holidays can be a source of conflict for many couples. One of the most common issues revolves around how, where, or with whom they’ll celebrate. Can you relate? Do you have different ideas for how you should spend them? Does it feel like you’re caught in the middle of both of your families? Is it causing conflict between the two of you? If you’re interested in how you can reach a compromise, we’ve got some practical steps for working through it together. Read More
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