Tips for Relationship Wellness

Stop the argument before it goes too far – take a time out, cool down, come back to the discussion and resume calmly

Make date nights and alone time a priority; frequent sex is good for your health and good for the relationship

Listen to each other, try to understand and empathize.  Life can be tough – become each other’s safe place from the storms of life.

Apologize and make amends when you mess up!

Put the relationship with your partner before your relationship with the kids!  Your relationship is the soil that the children grow in – healthy soil creates healthy children!

Find or create common interests and activities, especially around exercise and activities that get you both moving; build memories together; become each other’s best friend

Use anniversaries and birthdays as opportunities to take stock of the relationship; be honest about your strengths and weaknesses, set goals and make a plan to make things better

Don’t expect your partner to automatically know what you need.  Request- not demand- what you need and then explain to your partner how that helps you.  Express thanks and gratitude when they cooperate!

Use thoughtful gestures, kind words and actions to create an atmosphere of warmth and caring within the relationship. 

Spend more time telling your partner what they’ve done right than what they’ve done wrong.  It takes 5 positive statements to overcome 1 negative statement!

Connect with each other spiritually; observe religious practices together; find a cause to volunteer for and support together.

Regularly hold family business meetings to discuss finances, the calendar, parenting, the needs of the family, come up with an action plan and implement the plan.