One of the best things about marriage is that you can be comfortable “being yourself.” One of the worst things about marriage is that you can be comfortable “being yourself.” And if that irony elicits a knowing chuckle, you’re not alone. Perhaps, in all that “comfort,” you have forgotten how to talk with your spouse […]
Archive | Relationships
How To Communicate With Your Angry Spouse Without Inflaming The Situation
Anger is a difficult bedfellow, both in oneself and in one’s closest relationships. And nowhere is it more potent than in a marriage. Knowing how to communicate with your angry spouse, let alone without making things worse, can be frustrating and even frightening. Anger is a natural emotion. We all experience it and know the […]
How To Talk To Your Spouse About Debt Without Blaming Them
It’s one of the ugly must-do’s of marriage: figuring out how to talk to your spouse about debt. Whether it got dragged down the aisle like a ball and chain or snowballed after the nuptials, debt is a tough topic. Between student loans, a ginormous, she-can’t-say-no-now engagement ring, and that Pnina Tornai wedding gown, you […]
What Jealousy In Your Relationship Is Trying To Tell You — And How To Overcome It
Negative emotions don’t exactly exude a welcome invitation to higher learning. They feel crappy, they challenge your very thinking and allotment of energy, and they drain the life force out of you. One of the most negative emotions is jealousy. Within your relationship, it can be destructive. Within yourself, it can be devouring. This is […]
7 Essential Tips On Talking About Infidelity With Your Spouse After Someone Cheated
The irony of surviving infidelity is that you have to do now what you should have done then. But now you have to do it consciously, conscientiously, and consistently. And you have to do it under the assault of anger, pain, guilt, shame, regret, fear, sadness, and emotional fatigue. Communication now has make-or-break importance. Talking […]
How To Maintain A Strong Sense Of Self Once You’ve Found Your One True Love
Between rom-coms and fairy tales, you may have grown up starry-eyed and heart-thumping with the idea of spending happily-ever-after with The One. No harm, no foul. After all, if people didn’t yearn for connection and commitment, our species would need a miracle to continue. And thank goodness those hormones that drive lust, attraction, and attachment […]
7 Signs Your Relationship Isn’t As Solid As You Think
Relationships, as we all know, are complex, complicated, and often teeming with hidden messages about where we’ve been and where we need to go. We “work through our stuff” in the context of relationship, whether we recognize the process or not. If we’re paying attention, we see the signs that can help us navigate our […]
How To Respond To Contempt In Marriage
Every marriage has its frustrations, its grapplings with anger and dissatisfaction, and even its periods of distancing staleness. But some things are so damaging to a relationship that reconciliation is iffy at best. For this reason, learning how to respond to contempt before it takes root in your marriage is essential. The question “How does […]