After a bad fight between couples, a quiet episode follows. None wants to break the ice and restore the relationship to where it was before the fight. Even if one person is willing to apologize, the other one may block them out. The silent treatment is a bad way to solve marital issues. It is a selfish and manipulative way of inflicting emotional pain. If you have been doing this to your spouse, it is good to stop it. If you don’t, the silent treatment will be one of the things that will harm your marriage. This behavior prevents effective communication and dialogue, leaving a lot of issues unresolved. Additionally,…

Being vulnerable means being authentic and being able to risk expressing your thoughts, feelings, and wishes without fear of rejection. It means you are in control of yourself, not the relationship. Many people complain that they aren’t getting their needs met with their partner, but they don’t feel comfortable sharing their desires. Or, they fail to make requests in a positive, non-blameful way to begin with. Before you can begin to build successful relationships, you must have healthy self-esteem – which means believing in yourself. One of the first things to consider is: how do you treat yourself? No one is going to treat you with respect if you beat…

Everyone has heard the age-old admonition: “Don’t go to bed angry.” But is there any merit to it? You might want to think twice before hashing things out with your partner prior to sleep; a scientific study has now disproved the credence to this time-worn adage. The saying comes from the concept that slipping into slumber while holding onto a negative memory engraves it in the brain, making it even harder to shake off in the long run However, according to a new study published in The Official Journal of International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology, fighting with your partner while struggling with sleep deprivation equates to an increase in stress-related inflammatory…

Marriage bliss is real and most couples experience it at the beginning of their life as a couple. The start is usually full of exciting honeymoon trips, compliments, and lots of love from others. Unfortunately, the thrill doesn’t last. It fades as years go by as boredom kicks in. Some couple’s moment of boredom arrives after they have spent a lot of time together and there is a little left to learn about each other. Inevitably, marriage bliss and excitement diminishes over time. When it is all gone, a husband and wife stop doing all the activities they previously enjoyed. They stop doing dinner dates and going to the movies.…

Become aware and name your fighting patterns Most couples have fights that repeat themselves. For example, it can be fights about finances or someone not doing the chores or not contacting the partner about some issues. Couples also typically fight in the same way. A spouse starts attacking and the other spouse responds in a similar way all the time, be it avoidance, silence or attacking back. It may be very hard to notice the patterns during your fights because your emotions are at your peak. Think about your fights when you are calm, cool and collected. Discuss them with your spouse and name them. Doing so will take a…

Happily married couples share goals, needs and are able to communicate not just about the minutia of their daily lives, but also about their emotions. When partners struggle to connect on an emotional level, it typically shows up in their conflicts, too. Your spouse may be getting upset that you are ignoring social events at his or her job, but the real reason why your spouse gets upset may have nothing to do with the events themselves. It is very likely that the real issue is about relying and counting on the partner and being a priority for the spouse. The partners may be committed to their marriage, but if…

When losing your temper and dealing with one argument after another have become part of your day to day married life, anger control issues are probably to blame. It happens more often than you think. And when couples don’t know how to react or don’t see any solution to cope with disappointments and obstacles, then anger will only be increasing.   What Causes Anger Although people don’t always see anger as a bad emotion, when it takes hold of a couple’s life it can only cause damage. Its destructive ends come from harmful sources. Also, couples can express anger in different ways. However, its common source of negative energy stays…