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intimacy

Reclaiming the Romance After the Roommate Phase

Reclaiming Romance After the Roommate Phase

By Connection, Resilience9 Comments

Have you and your spouse gone through the roommate phase?

Maybe it was after having a baby, or as you tried to get into the groove of an unfamiliarly hectic stage of life. Maybe it was following a crisis or event that threw you both for a loop. Perhaps it was simply the result of feeling less connected than you used to. Whatever your situation, it’s a common stage couples go through. The danger, of course, is that although you fall into it without even trying – getting out of it takes effort and intention. You can wait around for that magical moment when the spark suddenly reignites. Meanwhile, you’re settling deeper into the roommate rut and growing more distant by the day. Or you can be proactive. Here are some tips for reclaiming the romance and getting your marriage back. Read More

January 22, 2025
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couple sitting on exercise mat

Hidden Opportunities to Foster Connection

By Connection9 Comments

When it comes to quality time, we often think we need to carve out a special spot in the day/week/month for time to focus on each other and nurture our relationship. This is partially true. Date nights and daily check ins (or some variation of them) are definitely a must-have for maintaining a strong relationship. However, there are actually hidden opportunities to foster connection already tucked throughout your day-to-day life. Here are few to get you started: Read More

August 4, 2021
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Couple talking on a scenic overlook

5 Ways To Show You’re Really Listening

By Relationship Basics10 Comments

Are you even listening to me?!

Have you ever been on the receiving end of this question? It’s not a great feeling. You might feel like you’re justifiably getting called out or you might get a little indignant because you were actually listening!  Whatever the case, something is missing when it comes to your active listening, which is foundational to good communication.

Here are five tips to make sure your partner feels heard:

Read More

April 28, 2021
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Couple cuddling together on their bed

Putting the Quality in Quality Time

By Connection, Quality Time5 Comments

Our time is so valuable these days. We’re always looking for ways to save time or make the most of our time. When all is said and done, what -or who – are we conserving that time for? Well, many of us want that extra time to spend with our loved ones – our spouse and family. Whether you’re in a super busy season of life or you just want to make the most of the valuable time you spend together, here are three tips for increasing the quality of your quality time:

Read More

April 21, 2021
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Here’s a Secret to a Happier Relationship

By UncategorizedOne Comment

We’ve heard it before.  Relationships can, and will (if we let them), fall in a rut.  We know they take energy, we know they take effort, we’ve heard this all before.  Amongst the extensive amount of stale relationship advice we’ve heard time and time again, this one stands out as most over-used.

But what if we told you that putting in the effort in a new and exciting way can actually make you a happier couple? Read More

April 12, 2018
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A couple folding laundry together.

Why it’s Good to Have Expectations in Your Relationship

By Uncategorized13 Comments

Have you ever heard of the “nocebo effect”?  No?  Me neither.

Have you heard of the “placebo effect”?  It’s the phenomenon where if you believe you are being treated for something, you feel the effects of it.  For example, if you are told the pill you are taking will cure your headache, you take it and assume your headache will go away.  When it does go away, you think nothing of it, except when you are told the pill you took is a sugar pill.  That’s the placebo effect.

Well, apparently the same goes for the opposite of the placebo effect – the nocebo effect.  If you believe that something is not going to work, it doesn’t.  If you are told the aspirin you are about to take is a dud and won’t work, it doesn’t – even if it’s the same kind of aspirin you always take for your headaches.

Can you imagine how the nocebo effect could affect your relationship? Read More

March 1, 2018
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7 Reasons Why This Year’s Valentine’s Day Won’t Be Like Last Year’s

By Uncategorized4 Comments

A brief synopsis on what happens every year on Valentine’s Day and what you can do this year to make it better than ever.

1. This year you will open up and communicate to your partner what you want for Valentine’s Day, figuratively and literally. It’s time to be assertive and vulnerable with your partner.  You will both appreciate that you were able to open up and say what you are really thinking. Read More

February 7, 2018
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A couple lighting firecrackers together.

New Year, New You?

By UncategorizedNo Comments

New Year, new you, nice try.  We all fall into the same trap of “new year’s resolutions.”  This time, year after year, gym prices become “discounted,” self-help books flood our Instagram feeds, and green shakes capitalize the end caps of our local supermarket.  We are overwhelmed with the idea that we can change ourselves if we try just hard enough, so let’s push ourselves to reach that yearly goal.  Unfortunately, it’s easy to fall into this cyclical way of thinking every year.  Are you focusing your energy on changing the right things? Read More

January 4, 2018
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Three men and a woman dancing in the outdoors.

Your friends + My friends = Our friends?

By Uncategorized4 Comments

Healthy relationships are vital to life. When cared for, relationships bring us joy. They bring us strength. They bring us connection. And so many other great things. But relationships are work! And, I’m not just talking about relationships that come with a lifelong commitment like a marriage or parenting, but friendships too.

Friendships are relationships we choose to have. We start to take this autonomy of deciding our friends when we are young, even before we truly understand what it means to be a friend. When I was in elementary school, I remember sitting around the dinner table with my family and one of my parents always would ask, “Did you make any new friends today?” I don’t remember what my answer was on a given day, but I’m sure I answered yes.

Back then, a friend was someone who held the door for you while coming inside from recess. Or someone who would trade you their peanut butter and jelly sandwich for your egg salad. Or maybe even the girl who has the pretty bow in her hair … maybe we’ve never actually played together, but she seems cool, so I’ll say she’s my friend. Read More

December 7, 2017
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