🤗 If you want to try to have a good relationship with your in-laws, this is for you.

🔥 Sex matters a lot in marriage… but maybe not for the reason we think it does.

🗝️ If you & your spouse have nothing in common, connect with these nine tips.

💻 So, your husband watches porn. It’s not because of you!

💔 Rebuilding trust takes work, but it’s worth trying for your marriage.

keys to effective communication in marriage

What are the keys to effective communication? Well, research on what makes marriage work shows that happy and healthy couples have a ratio of 5:1 positive to negative behaviors in their relationship.

This means there are five times as many positive interactions between happy couples (i.e., listening, validating the other person, using soft words, expressing appreciation, affirmation, physical affection, compliments, etc.) as there are negative (i.e., raising one’s voice, stating a complaint, or expressing one’s anger).

tips for improving communication:

💚 Be intentional about spending time together.

💚 Use more “I” statements and less “You” statements.

💚 Be specific.

💚 Avoid mind-reading.

💚 Express negative feelings constructively.

💚 Listen without being defensive.

💚 Freely express positive feelings.

your spouse can develop empathy. here’s how to help.

You want your spouse to be fully present with you in your feelings, thoughts and situations in life. But what happens when they don’t show empathy? You probably feel alone, unimportant and misunderstood. You’ve opened up, but your spouse seems unable or uninterested in responding in an empathetic way. So, what do you do when your spouse lacks empathy?

First, my heart goes out to anyone married to a spouse who indeed lacks empathy. This is a hard road.

Your spouse is the one person you hope will get you and feel you. Why? So they can be there for you. (In whatever way you need them to be.)

Simple phrases like, I get you, I feel you, and I’m here for you, are gestures toward empathy. When they’re sincere, they mean I. Am. With. You. You are not alone. But empathy doesn’t stop there. Empathy isn’t complete without action.

Empathy should lead your spouse to put self aside, be present in your story and absorb it. They understand, believe and validate it and you… they don’t judge, criticize or dismiss it and you. (And they definitely don’t make it about them.) Empathy is the catalyst to respond with appropriate, compassionate actions.