Relationships ebb and flow with time. It’s normal for the initial passion of the honeymoon phase to give way to a less intense and more mundane day-to-day life.
And as you settle into married life, it’s normal for marriage troubles to pop up from time to time. But just because they’re normal doesn’t mean that they’re to be ignored. Left alone, small problems can grow into big ones, eroding the foundations of your marriage over time.
To prevent that, take a look at some of the most common signs that your marriage is in trouble, and how you can remedy them before they get out of control.
Money Troubles Lead to Marriage Troubles
You probably saw this coming, but money troubles in marriage have put more than a few couples on the rocks. In fact, according to one survey, it’s the second leading cause of divorce, only beaten by infidelity! So getting your financial situation under control is essential to maintaining a healthy marriage.
Specifically, debt is a major source of marital strife. About two-thirds of marriages start off in debt, and allowing it to continue to mount is a common source of stress in these relationships.
By contrast, couples who talk openly about finances, their money goals, and work together to attain them, tend to report much higher levels of marital satisfaction.
You Aren’t Prioritizing Your Intimate Life
With the hectic pace of modern living, it’s normal for couples to let their shared sex lives slide to the backburner. Between work, family, and social obligations, it’s often hard to find the time or energy.
However, you can’t afford to ignore the sexual aspect of your relationship. If one or both partners in a couple aren’t having their needs met, it can be easy for a certain amount of resentment to take root.
To remedy this, both parties need to commit to making sex an area of their shared lives that they’re always working to develop together, like emotional intimacy or support for one another’s goals. And if you’ve been together for a long time, it never hurts to try new things to keep monotony from setting in. For ideas, check out this post for some ideas to rekindle your shared sex lives.
You and Your Spouse Are No Longer Growing
You might have heard people muse that they could never be married to the same person for the rest of their lives. That it would get boring, repetitive, monotonous. But if you’re doing it right, that will never be a concern for you and your spouse.
You may have also heard the proverb “you can never step in the same river twice”. Because the waters are always in motion, the river is, in effect, always changing. And people are the same way.
Unless you allow yourself to become stagnant.
Ideally, you aren’t the same person that you were 5, 10, or 15 years ago, and neither is your partner. Your goal as a couple should be to always be growing together as you experience life together. Developing the mindset that you are always helping each other to learn and develop into better versions of yourselves will keep your marriage exciting and prevent stagnation.
Ups and Downs are a Fact of Married Life
It’s been said that love is like a fire. It burns brightly and intensely when first lit, before settling into a warm, comforting hearth.
And like how a fire will have the odd pop and crackle, every marriage will run into marriage troubles here and there. The key is to be vigilant in tending to that hearth to ensure that the flame is never allowed to go out completely.
And as always, for more lifestyle tips on how to live your best, most fulfilling life, be sure to keep up with all the latest from The Insidexpress.
