The 50 Most Useful Marriage Tips EVER!
31. Communication and time together are the keys to strengthening your marriage.
Impossible to imagine one without the other! – Lori Edelson, LMSW, LMFT
32. One of the most important factors in a good marriage is respect.
Respect each other, avoid verbal abuse, and keep insults to yourself. Bad words are just like squeezing toothpaste out of its tube — once it is out you can never get it back in again. – Georgia Panayi, MBA
33. Set aside 10 minutes a day to talk to your partner.
Ask what her favorite movie is and why, ask him to recall a happy memory from childhood, ask her what she’d like to be remembered for, ask him to name the three worst songs of all time. Do it at dinner, before bed, or anytime—as long as you do it for 10 minutes every day. This simple change infuses relationships with new life. – Dr. Terri Orbuch, Ph.D
34. You can have control or you can have connection with your partner, but you can’t have both. Pursue connection! – Lee Horton, Ph.D
35. Every week if possible, go out on a date just like you did before you were married.
Select an activity where the two of you can interact, talk, and just be together enjoying each other’s company (not a movie!). End your date in the bedroom. Works like a charm! – Ann Robbins, CRC
36. Couples often lose each other because of their busy lives: work, children, computers, and separate male/female activities.
A healthy marriage is one that has a mix of individual, family, and couple time. The amount of each may be different for each couple, but the mix is necessary to keep a functional marriage. – Michele Seligman LCSW, BCD
37. Our brains are the only organ in the human body which do not self regulate, but need to be in connection with another brain for healing.
Sit face-to-face and gaze into your lover’s eyes in order to allow the limbic system to relax. This will bring you closer and create the deepest sort of intimacy. – Mary Kay Cocharo, LMFT
38. When you first see each other at the end of your respective days, before you do anything else, hold each other without speaking for at least 60 seconds.
By doing so you remind each other’s old/reptilian brains that you are a source of pleasure and comfort. It’s simple, it’s easy to do, and it will make a world of difference. – Laura Marshall, LCSW
39. Preface important communication with a simple yet effective introduction.
Try: “Honey, I’m confused about your response to my plans for a weekend hunting trip with the guys. When would be a good time to talk further?” My relationship coaching clients have found that prefacing their remarks encourages a better, more accommodating reaction from their partner. – Greg R. Thiel, MA
40. On those ever-important date nights, remember to be a wife first and a critic second.
Every time you open your mouth to complain about something — whether it’s the food, the service, the movie, the weather, whatever — some part of your partner feels he’s failing because you aren’t having a great time. Men are happiest when they can please their woman! Save the full critique for your girlfriends and in meantime, let him see the best in you. – Delaine Moore, Dating and Relationship Coach
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