Being in a committed relationship can be a beautiful thing, and forming a strong bond with someone that you want to share your life with can lead to happiness and personal satisfaction. Unfortunately, while most people realize that relationships require work, they may not always know exactly what kind of work is best for strengthening that bond.
Spend Quality Time Together
Spending some quality time with one another is a simple way to connect, but it’s also one of the hardest things for many couples to do. Between work, family, church, community, and other obligations it’s not always easy to set aside dedicated time as a couple. One of the most important aspects of this is that it should be quality time without distractions—lying in bed next to each other scrolling social media feeds on separate phones is a lot different than spending that time talking to each other about your day at a date night dinner. Put away your phones, make arrangements for someone else to take care of the kids, and focus on each other. The Gottman Institute recommends allocating around six hours a week to this kind of quality time.
Give Meaningful Compliments
Everyone loves compliments, especially when they are heartfelt. Set a goal to compliment your partner at least once a day, even if it’s something as simple as telling them their outfit looks nice. Compliments are even better if you can think of something nice to say about your spouse or partner and connect it with a trait you love about them, such as kindness or being a great listener. If you’re having trouble coming up with things, keep a small journal or notes in your phone when you notice something that you want to compliment.
Tell Your Partner What You Need
Sometimes the most frustrating part of a relationship is feeling like your spouse or partner isn’t doing the things you need. In many cases it’s not because he or she doesn’t want to do those things, it’s simply because they don’t know what you need. Communicate your expectations clearly so they know how they can support you. If your needs are still unmet after clearly communicating them, you may want to consider marriage counseling in Salt Lake City to try and discover the underlying reasons your needs are going unmet.
Go to Therapy Together
Even happy couples can benefit from marriage counseling, and spending 30 to 60 minutes with a professional once a month (or more if necessary) can help you resolve differences and address challenges right away so they won’t fester or grow and create a wedge between you. Talk to us today to schedule a couples assessment and incorporate therapy in your efforts to strengthen your marriage.
