10 Little Things That Can Make a Big Difference
in Your Marriage
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Source: Child Welfare Information
Gateway. (2006). Safe children and healthy families
are a shared responsibility. Retrieved April 22,
2006, from http://www.childwelfare.gov
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A strong, supportive relationship is built
from a couple's words and actions. With work, children, and
other responsibilities, sometimes it is easy to take your
spouse for granted or forget to do the things that strengthen
the marriage. Here are some little things to do that can
have a big payoff for your marriage.
- Give your spouse a compliment.
Better yet, brag about your spouse to others when
your spouse is in earshot. It will boost self-confidence,
and your spouse will want to continue making you
happy
and proud.
- Find something to laugh about. Laughter
helps us cope with stress and the pressures of our
busy lives. A sense of humor helps marriages survive
problems, large and small.
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- Have a shared activity both of you enjoy. It can
be anything from going out to dinner, dancing, or gardening.
You may need to make time to do things together, but
this is a great way of keeping intimacy alive and well.
- Treat
your spouse the way you want to be treated. Be respectful
if you want to be respected. This approach
helps establish
the fact that both parties have a responsibility in the
marriage.
- Take time to touch. The value of human touch is amazing.
Eight to ten meaningful touches a day help you maintain
physical and emotional health.
- Be willing to compromise. Give up some
of your wants for the sake of what your spouse wants.
Identify the situation
as a compromise to avoid having unresolved anger or resentment
later.
- Give a smile. An easy but powerful way to value your
spouse is to smile and tell your spouse how you feel.
- Discuss the things that bother you. Letting things build
up day after day without discussing and resolving them
leads to anger and resentment that hurt your marriage.
The more
quickly something can be addressed and taken care of,
the more time you will have for the enjoyable and healthy
parts
of your relationship.
- Communication is key. Without communication,
any team is in trouble. It is important to communicate
your thoughts,
plans, ideas, and opinions on a consistent basis. Equally
important is communicating your feelings-the joys,
sorrows, and frustrations we all experience.
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