Five Ways To Make Your Marriage Better

Sheri Stritof

Although there are many ways to improve your marriage, this list of five things you can do to improve your marriage is centered around major issues that can tear your marriage apart.

1. Don’t Take Each Other for Granted
If you are taking your spouse for granted because you believe that your partner will always be there for you, you are making a huge mistake.

Take the time and make the effort to be kind, thoughtful, appreciative, respectful,supportive, and affirming towards your spouse.

Not taking your spouse for granted means going beyond remembering your anniversary and your spouse’s birthday. Not taking your spouse for granted means being tuned in to how your spouse feels and what your spouse thinks. Not taking your spouse for granted means you listen, you don’t interrupt, and you show and tell your spouse of your love.

2. Work Together to Improve Your Sex Life

If you don’t want to end up as one of the”sexless marriage” statistics, don’t put your sex life on the low end of your priority list.

Remind yourselves of when you first met and the first twinges of lust that you felt for one another. Leave romantic and suggestive love notes for one another. Flirt with one another. Plan for time alone with one another on a regular basis. Kick the television out of your bedroom.

Showing your spouse how much you love and care often leads to a satisfying and fulfilling sex life.

3. Agree to Do Your Share of Chores Around Your Home
If you want peace, harmony and a clean, organized home, then the two of you need to work together to insure that household tasks such as keeping financial records, maintenance, shopping, gardening, planning, cleaning, cooking, child care, transportation, etc. are shared responsibilities.

4. Talk About Your Finances
When you have money it can come between the two of you if you haven’t talked about your financial goals, saving money, and spending money.

If your budget is tight, money can create stress and division as you cope with bills and worry.

Attend a financial workshop, talk with a financial planner, learn, recommended ways of building a cushion for emergencies and planning for your retirement. Discuss your finances so the two of you are on the same financial wave length.

5. Simplify Your Lives
Think about the number of hours you each work, the amount of time you spend on hobbies or on home maintenance, volunteering, and the time you want to spend with friends or extended family versus the amount of time you spend with one another.

Reevaluate how you both spend your time and consider how to simplify your lives whether you are newlyweds, a couple with children, or an empty nest couple. If you are over worked, over extended, and over tired, you put your marriage at risk.

The idea of downsizing involves more than moving to a smaller home. Downsizing is more about attitude than it is about space.

Source: about.com