Written by Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, the Marriage in a Box blog shares insights into common relationship struggles, gives ideas for moving beyond the roadblocks, and helps you find your path to happiness – both individually and within your relationship.
Quality of friendship and knowing your spouse are two predictors or marital success. Knowing your spouse's history, their goals and their personality styles, amongst other things, allows for greater cohesiveness within the relationship. Feeling comfortable around your partner and seeing them as both your friend and your lover are vital in enhancing the connection within your relationship. This will assist both partners in being able to effectively communicate and problem solve with their significant other.
Read More
Believe it or not, communication is not the most important component of a happy relationship, although it certainly contributes to the longevity and overall success of a partnership. Instead, “clarity” and “being deserving” are two fundamental elements of a successful marriage.
Read More
Each month, we showcase a user-friendly book with practical applications for common issues in marriage and relationships.
Read More
This month's 4-question quiz is about control.
- Does it seem that you have to ask permission to go places and do things?
Read More
- Focus on What You Can Do: Work on the things you can change as opposed to the things that are not in your control. Focus on what needs to happen as opposed to dwelling on what shouldn’tor didn’t happen. This perspective can help you make faster progress.
- Think Chicken or the Egg? Either partner can jump in at any point to change a negative pattern. It doesn’t matter who makes the first move to change for the better, as long as both partners participate in the process once initiated.
- Keep Reminders: It’s important to keep reminders of your practices and goals accessible. View them daily on your computer, refrigerator, bathroom mirror, work space, or car visor. Constant reminders will help with consistency and accelerate change.
- Replace: Make it a point to constantly replace the old way of thinking with the new tools learned within Marriage In A Box. Continually replacing the old with the new will cement healthy patterns of interacting. For example, replace blaming (old way: “You made me feel bad…”) with using an “I” statement (new way: “I felt hurt when…”).
