Almost 50 percent of all marriages in the United States will end in divorce or separation. While these odds seem staggering, there are ways you can strengthen your marriage to not only help your chance of having a long-lasting marriage, but to also have a deep and loving marriage.
- Set aside time to plan weekly and discuss your schedules.
When you are on the same page with your spouse on daily matters, your relationship is better. Set aside time each week to discuss your family’s schedule, any issues that have come up, and your expectations for one another in managing everything that will happen in your week. It sounds basic, but knowing who is doing what can alleviate any annoyances you have with one another over the logistics of taking care of your family’s needs and your kids schedules.
Consider having a shared google calendar so you can clearly see what is happening with one another’s schedules and make notes you both can see.
- Make date night a priority.
According to The Gottman Institute’s research-based approach to relationships, we should have 2 hours a week devoted to dates with our spouse in order to keep a healthy relationship. Setting aside time with our spouse without distraction helps us reconnect with one another and continue to have fun together.
While this is not always easy, it does not have to be complicated. Read Great Date Night Ideas For Married Couples to find ideas for dates at home, things to do nearby, and fun ideas for anniversaries as well as for spicing up your relationship and more.
- Practice small acts of kindness.
Performing small kind gestures for your spouse regularly will show your spouse how much you mean to them. Ideas include:
- Sending a thoughtful text
- Occasionally buying a small gift or flowers
- Helping out around the house
- Going out of your way to do something you don’t usually do
- Giving your spouse a night off from the kids
- Giving compliments
- Saying “I love you”.
Learn your spouse’s love language and you will better know what will be the most meaningful way you can show your love and appreciation to them.
- Touch one another daily.
Remember how much you touched your spouse when you were dating? Remember how connected you felt to one another? Take time to kiss and hug your spouse daily when you can. Hold hands when taking a walk or watching TV. Make time to be close to one another and you will feel more connected again.
- Discuss problems openly and honestly.
We all know that communication is key to a happy relationship. We also know that communication is not always easy for everyone. Continue to work on how you communicate with one another, especially when you are having a conflict. Take time to cool down before discussing a heated topic. Plan out what you are going to say and how you will say it without condemning the other person and putting them on the defense. And if you fail at communicating in a productive way, apologize and move forward.
“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.”- Mignon McLaughlin