Are you calling it quits? We understand. Marriage can get complicated at times. It can be even harder to save a relationship that’s falling through the cracks every passing minute. However, couples need to understand that marriage problems are common, and divorce doesn’t have to be the only solution. Recognizing warning signs early on and proactively working through them can reconcile differences before things get out of hand.
If you are still in love with your partner yet feel that it’s not working out anymore, here are some tips to save your marriage:
Table of Contents
1. Communicate
Active listening and communicating are essential components of a marriage. Marriages that last forever require deep connections, and such connections require open communication. Consistently discuss interests, goals, and feelings to nurture closeness in your relationship.
Also, during a conversation, don’t just listen to respond. Try to understand where your partner is coming from and empathize. If things get heated up, don’t involve relatives or friends, as they can be biased. Instead, talk to your spouse about what’s frustrating either of you without messing up your tone.
2. Practice forgiveness
Relationships tend to fall through when the people in them fail to make an effort. Instead of holding grudges against each other, try to practice forgiveness. The first step is to understand that forgiveness is a choice. When you choose to forgive, you give yourself a chance to heal.
Share how what they said hurt you and why. Understanding where you come from and emphasizing why they did what they did can help you analyze situations better. Forgiveness is a two-way process. Own your mistakes, acknowledge your feelings, and make amends. This way, both of you get to start with a clean slate.
3. Be kind and patient
Is your partner going through something that’s made them act this way? It could be the other way around, too. Even if this is not the case, practicing kindness and patience can help develop feelings of closeness and love. Making efforts also help show you care.
So get your spouse’s favorite ice cream on your way back, make the bed, or iron their clothes if they look exhausted. Enjoy a candlelight dinner with just the two of you. Remember, you cannot reconcile your differences overnight. Keep being kind and trust the process to make things okay again.
4. Don’t be controlling
Marriage can prove to be suffocating if any of the partners are controlling and used to having their way. Partners in a relationship are equal and deserve the right to do as they please. Practice giving and taking to let go of your controlling behavior.
Moreover, give your partner the space they need. Healing takes time, and the best thing you can do is allow them to steer their own way toward you.
5. Spend quality time together
Often we are so engulfed in a routine that we don’t have the time to left for our spouses. Spending quality time is vital for any relationship to prosper. Quality time means you get to spend undivided attention on each other doing something you both enjoy.
It could be a surprise candlelight dinner for their birthday, a gift they weren’t expecting, or anything that will allow you both to develop a deep bond. Consider intimacy to spice up your routine and remember why you both married in the first place.
6. Take a break
The next thing you need to do to save your marriage is to know when a break is required. Arguments are inevitable in any relationship, but if partners say something hurtful in the heat of the moment, the scars will stay a lifetime.
For this reason, it is wise for couples to know when to take a break or repair an argument instead. You can cool down extremely heated debates with small breaks. At the same time, minor disputes can end with a bit of humor, a caring remark, or a similar repair attempt.
7. Consider therapy
If you believe your marriage is breaking apart, it doesn’t hurt to take outside help. Marriage and family therapy can help partners settle the emotional difficulties they are facing with each other. Marriage counselors can help partners hear each other out and hear out their POVs without bias.
This option is not only for couples on the brink of a divorce. Couples therapy can also be a viable option for those who have married yet failed to live the fullest life they had imagined with their partners. Remember, being proactive is key to sustaining a happy and healthy marriage.
