Gratitude is an important part of a healthy marriage. It’s crucial for spouses to intentionally cultivate a sense of gratitude toward one another to maintain harmony and happiness in the relationship. If you’re looking for a way to deepen your love and get closer with your spouse, practicing regular gratitude is one way to make that happen.
Gratitude, patience, and empathy can carry you through all sorts of challenges in your life together. When you express genuine gratitude toward your spouse, it will resonate with them. And when you make it a habit to do so, you’re creating fertile ground for more love and positivity in the future.
There are many ways to thank your spouse for everything they do for you and to show them how grateful you are for them. While this isn’t an exhaustive list, it contains some simple tips to help inspire you to show your spouse more gratitude each day.
1. Say Thank You Often
There are many ways to say thank you to the person you love most in the world. Speaking the words verbally is important, of course. You can also express gratitude in other ways, such as in letters, cards, or text messages.
Don’t feel pressured to commit to elaborate gestures if that’s not how you normally communicate (or if it’s not what your spouse responds well to). The key is consistent gratitude. How you express it can be simple, but don’t neglect to let your spouse know how much you truly appreciate who they are and what they do.
2. Take A Pause Just for Them
Gratitude can be well expressed by pausing everyday activities to simply focus on your spouse. So what might a pause look like?
- A slow meal at your spouse’s favorite cafe
- Spending a night in, rather than serving other obligations
- Taking extra time for intimacy that’s focused on your spouse
- Dropping what you’re doing to go on a date
Your pause can look many different ways, and there’s no one size fits all rule. However you choose to go about it, a pause is meant to pull the two of you outside of your normal hectic pace so you have a chance to show your gratitude without being in a rush.
If you want to focus a little extra time on your spouse, check out the conversation prompts in our book, Love Talk Starters. This book contains 275 questions that will help guide you into meaningful conversations with your spouse. It’s a great tool for your pauses!
3. Be Affectionate
It’s possible for open and regular affection to wane in the face of hectic schedules, careers, and outside obligations. But affection is a wonderful way to show your spouse gratitude, so make time for it.
4. Serve Your Spouse
No, this doesn’t necessarily mean breakfast in bed (although if that’s what you have in mind, we’re sure your spouse won’t complain!). Serving and loving your spouse selflessly, without expectations, is one of the highest acts of love and gratitude you can accomplish. That could look like picking up the slack somewhere in your everyday life, particularly if it has been a busy season. It could also look like you giving your spouse a break by taking on additional responsibilities for them.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, you can create your own picture of what gratitude looks like in your marriage. The important thing is to follow through with consistency and love. Thank your spouse on a regular basis, and help your relationship thrive.
What are some unique ways you show regular gratitude to your spouse? How has gratitude shaped and strengthened your marriage? Let us know in the comments.
Hello, When a spouse has OCD and is focused on sex, one way for them to thank you is by being willing to refrain from it.
Active listening. We often listen while trying to simultaneously do other things. For example, checking our phone or texting. Active listening is solely focused on what they have to say without all the world’s other distractions.