I’ve been married to my wife for over 20 years, and I can tell you that the secret to a successful marriage is simple: stay committed to each other through good times and bad. But it isn’t always easy! Marriage takes work, but it can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life if you remember these tips:
Realize that marriage is a team sport.
Marriage is a team sport. You’re in this together, and you need to work as a team. You can’t do it alone!
- Communication: If there’s something that needs to be said, say it. Don’t hold grudges or keep things bottled up inside of you–it’ll only make matters worse in the long run. Communication is key when it comes to having a successful marriage and building trust between two people who love each other very much but still have differences of opinion sometimes (as we all do).
- Trust: Trusting your partner means believing that he or she will always do what’s best for both of you even when it may not seem so at first glance; trusting each other means knowing that neither one person has more power than another within the relationship because everyone has equal say when making decisions about their future together.”
Don’t be a jerk.
- Don’t be a jerk.
- Don’t be selfish.
- Don’t be a complainer.
- Don’t be a nag.
- Don’t be a bully (this includes physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse).
If you find yourself in one of these situations, talk to your partner about how they can improve their behavior and make it better for both of you! If this doesn’t work for some reason–and trust me: sometimes people just won’t listen no matter how hard we try–then maybe it’s time to leave that relationship and find something more fulfilling elsewhere?
Have a life outside of your marriage.
One of the easiest ways to ensure that your marriage will last is by not letting it take over your life. You can do this by having a life outside of your spouse, or at least one where you don’t let them be the only thing that matters to you.
Don’t talk about them all the time, don’t spend all day thinking about them and their needs (or lack thereof), and don’t spend all night cuddling with them in bed–unless that’s what makes YOU happy!
It’s also important for both partners not just individually but as a couple as well: make sure both sides are getting enough attention from each other!
Don’t forget to have sex.
It’s not just about the physical benefits of sex, though those are important too. If you and your partner have a good sex life, it can be a great way to connect with each other and relieve stress in the process. It’s also good for your health–sex has been shown to reduce blood pressure, improve moods and sleep quality and even lower cholesterol levels (in addition to all those other benefits). And finally: sex is fun!
Keeping your relationship healthy doesn’t mean doing everything together all the time or never having any fun outside of it–it just means making sure that both partners feel valued as a person and appreciated as an individual within their partnership
Put the kids to bed early.
Put the kids to bed early. As a mom, I’ll be the first to admit that this one’s not always easy. But it’s important for your marriage and for your kids. If they’re still awake at 8pm, 9pm, 10pm or 11pm–or even midnight–it means they’re up with you until 1am or 2am! That’s too much time spent together as a family without any privacy (and who wants to talk about their feelings when there are two little ears listening?). And if the kids aren’t sleeping well at night because of their schedule? Then guess what: YOU’RE NOT SLEEPING WELL EITHER!
So make sure that everyone gets enough sleep by putting them down early enough so that everyone can rest well through the night.
Leave the past in the past.
When you’re married, it can be tempting to bring up old arguments or fights. You might feel like bringing up the past will help you understand where your spouse is coming from, but this is usually not true. Bringing up the past can create more tension and make your partner feel defensive–and who needs that?
It’s also important not to bring up mistakes, hurts and failures. If something happened in the past but your partner has apologized for it (and they have), then there’s no need for an ongoing discussion about what happened then or how it affected both of you personally or emotionally today as adults with different perspectives on things than when those events occurred 30 years ago!
Remember not to compare your marriage to other people’s marriages.
- Remember not to compare your marriage to other people’s marriages.
- Don’t compare your spouse to other people’s spouses.
- Don’t compare your life to other people’s lives (and vice versa).
- Don’t compare the way you raise your children with the way other parents do it–no matter how badly they seem like they’re doing things wrong! And never, ever judge someone else’s house by its exterior or decor; that’s just rude!
Find something new and exciting to do together.
- Find something new and exciting to do together.
- Do something you have never done before.
- Try something you have always wanted to do, but never had the time or money for in your life before this point.
- Try something new that will challenge both of you as a couple, not just one person in particular (like learning how to play golf). This could be anything from learning salsa dancing together or taking an art class at the local community college–the possibilities are endless!
Be honest with each other about everything, from spending habits to your weight gain.
- Be honest with each other about everything, from spending habits to your weight gain. Don’t lie or hide things from each other. It will only make things worse in the end.
- Don’t be afraid to talk about things that are bothering you. You do not have to agree on everything, but at least listening will help both parties understand what is going on in each others’ mindsets and lives. This can help avoid arguments later on down the road when there is no communication between partners anymore because they stopped talking altogether due to misunderstandings caused by lack of honesty between them earlier on in life together as husband/wife partners who love each other very much but may not always agree 100%
Express love for each other in physical ways every day.
In addition to the emotional support you give your partner, it’s also important that you express love for each other in physical ways every day. In fact, a simple touch can make a big difference! Touching, hugging and kissing are important parts of any good marriage. Physical affection helps you connect with your partner on an emotional level–and this connection can help both of you feel more relaxed and at ease around each other.
Physical affection has health benefits as well: it reduces stress levels (which will improve your sleep quality), boosts immunity against colds or flu viruses by up to 80 percent and lowers blood pressure by up to 20 points!
Focus on staying healthy and protecting each other from illness and injury, including the mental kind that comes from stress or depression.
It’s important to focus on staying healthy and protecting each other from illness and injury, including the mental kind that comes from stress or depression.
To stay healthy:
- Exercise regularly (at least 30 minutes a day) and eat well. Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast!
- Avoid alcohol and drugs if you want to keep your body strong enough to last through all those years together! Don’t worry though–it’s totally okay if one of you drinks occasionally but not too much; just make sure they don’t get drunk every night after work or anything like that! You should also avoid smoking cigarettes since they can cause cancer later in life which means fewer years together as husband/wife 🙂
- Make sure both partners have plenty of time for their own hobbies so that there aren’t any arguments over who gets more attention from each other because everyone has different interests so no one would mind sharing time with their spouse instead of focusing only on themselves all day long 🙂
Remember that there is no such thing as a perfect marriage, or a perfect spouse or perfect partner. Takeaway: You can strengthen your marriage by sticking together through good times and bad, doing fun stuff together, and having realistic expectations of each other and yourself
The best thing you can do for your marriage is to remember that there is no such thing as a perfect marriage, or a perfect spouse or partner. Takeaway: You can strengthen your marriage by sticking together through good times and bad, doing fun stuff together, and having realistic expectations of each other and yourself
Remember that there is no such thing as a perfect marriage, or a perfect spouse or partner. Takeaway: You can strengthen your marriage by sticking together through good times and bad, doing fun stuff together, and having realistic expectations of each other and yourself
Conclusion
It’s important to remember that there is no such thing as a perfect marriage, or a perfect spouse or partner. We all have our flaws and weaknesses, but if you can find someone who complements your strengths and weaknesses well enough that they become an asset instead of a liability then you’ve got yourself the start of something great.