If you’re worried about protecting your marriage from infidelity, there’s good news: it means you care deeply about the commitment you’ve made to your spouse. The two of you have something special, and you’re dedicated to seeing it through. There are many steps you can take to protect your marriage from an affair, including open communication, setting boundaries, and meeting each other’s needs. In this article, we’re sharing a few things you can start doing right away to help one another feel loved and secure. Let’s get started. Tell Each Other How Much You Value Your Relationship One important way…
Everyone wants to feel appreciated. It’s a natural human desire. And in our marriages, that’s especially true. When we marry, we’re counting on our spouse to help us feel loved, seen, heard, and appreciated. And, each of us takes for granted that the other person will deliver on that expectation. However, it’s easy for marriages to become overtaken by day-to-day routines. Somewhere along the way, showing appreciation can fall by the wayside. What if your spouse isn’t showing the appreciation you’d like to see? Maybe you’ve brought up your concerns before, but you haven’t seen any changes that bring you…
Being married means creating a new life with your spouse. This new life means you’ll have to leave old patterns behind, especially selfish behavior. To build a successful and happy marriage, you and your spouse will both need to be more self-giving. So how can you become more self-giving in your marriage? In this article, we’re sharing five things you can do to become more selfless, and build a happier marriage as a result. 1. Consider Your Spouse First The first step toward being more self-giving in your marriage is to consider your spouse’s needs and preferences first. This doesn’t…
What do you do when your spouse falls out of love? If you’re in a committed marriage, it’s easy to take happily-ever-after for granted. You and your spouse took vows and built a life together. You’ve made plans and dreams together. So what happens when your spouse says they no longer love you? In today’s post, we’ll touch on a few important ways to start addressing this incredibly painful situation. While every marriage is different, there are a few foundational shifts you and your spouse can make that could transform your relationship for the better. Let’s take a look at…
Every person approaches decision making in a different way. Some of us are cautious and methodical, while others are more spontaneous. These decision-making styles can have a profound effect on our marriage and every aspect of our lives. You’re either a spontaneous or cautious decision maker. What about your spouse? There are benefits and drawbacks to having similar decision-making styles. Likewise, conflicting styles have their pros and cons. The Potential Consequences of Your Decision-Making Style How could your decision-making style affect your marriage? Here are a few major impacts to consider. For better or worse, it’s worth thinking through potential…
When it comes to the future, there are many ways to approach it. Planning for the future can help us create a safety net and expectations for how life will unfold. On the other hand, dreaming gives us insight into the possibilities of the future. Planning and dreaming appear to have the same end goals, but they’re vastly different. People who tend to be dreamers can quickly build resentment against planners, and vice versa. That’s particularly true when they can’t work harmoniously on their desire to experience a satisfying future. So when it comes to dreaming vs. planning, which is…
Everyone has emotional needs. For each of us, those come down to a few top needs that are most important to us. With those emotional needs unmet, it’s difficult for us to walk in our spouse’s shoes. Because emotional needs are highly important, which ones should you prioritize first? Which emotional needs are the most important–yours or your spouse’s? That answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. You can do a few things to determine which needs to meet first in any given situation. Want to know more? Let’s jump right into it. Know Your Own Top Emotional Needs It isn’t easy to articulate…
Do you need more attention from your spouse? It’s incredibly discouraging to feel unappreciated or neglected by your partner. Maybe you’ve brought the issue up to your spouse in the past, but nothing has changed. What should you do in that situation? Consider What’s Behind Your Spouse’s Actions (or Inaction) Some seasons of marriage can make you and your spouse feel further apart than you used to. Maybe you’re raising small children together. Your spouse may be having a difficult time at work. One of you, or a family member, may be experiencing chronic illness. Whatever the case, outside circumstances…
Is your marriage in a rut? It’s common for married couples to go through seasons where they feel out of sync with each other. Once you’ve found yourself in this place, it can be too easy to assume that you’re going to stay stuck. Luckily, there’s hope for getting back into a happier, healthier relationship. Stop Making Future Assumptions The first important thing to do when you’re stuck in a rut is to stop making assumptions about the future. Just because you feel this way now doesn’t mean you will forever. Whatever patterns of behavior or conflict you’ve found yourselves…
So your spouse is unhappy in your marriage. Is this the end of your relationship? It’s incredibly painful to learn that a spouse isn’t happy, no matter how long you’ve been married. Whether you’re newlyweds or have been together for decades, it’s heartbreaking to realize that your relationship might not be what you believed it was. Still, unhappiness–on your part, or on your spouse’s–doesn’t necessarily spell doom for your marriage. Wondering what you can do to course-correct the path you’re on? We’ve gathered some tips to help you get started. 1. Set Aside Some Time to Talk About Your Relationship…