The Top 6 Factors that Contribute to a Happy Marriage

Marriage isn’t easy. That’s probably why divorce rates are so high. Merging two lives together sometimes doesn’t end well, even in situations where two people seem like they’re meant to be. However, people can make a marriage work, but it takes more than living together. Here are our top 6 factors that contribute to a happy marriage.

1. Strong Communication

First and foremost, communication is vital. In order for a relationship to work, both partners need to speak to one another about problems in addition to just sharing the good times. If something is wrong, a person must speak up, so there aren’t hurt feelings and unresolved issues that never get addressed. Neither person should judge, jump to conclusions or be controlling. It’s important to speak about problems and actually resolve them rather than make them worse by yelling and accusing. Keep in mind that conflict is inevitable; what matters is how you address it.

2. Spend Alone Time Together

Alone time shouldn’t only be in the bedroom. The two of you should find activities to do such as explore a new location or even just go out to eat once a month. You need a change of pace and some time just to yourselves. If not, you could find that you two drift apart or get comfortable not doing anything and things become dull. Make sure you don’t go to the same place every date night. Feel free to take a spur-of-the-moment romantic getaway. Keeping things fresh and exciting is important to avoiding getting into a rut.

3. Spend Time Apart

While this sounds counterproductive, you both need time spent away from one another. You need time to miss each. You need separate hobbies and friends. It will give you both something to talk about. There’s nothing wrong with wives having a girls’ night out or husbands watching the big game together. It’s healthy to be able to be away from one another and have individual likes and dislikes.

4. Have an Open Mind

One key to success in a marriage is to have an open mind. Not being willing to compromise does nothing positive for a relationship. A marriage won’t work out if the same person is always giving in. A couple may want to take turns compromising, so one person isn’t left resenting the other.

5. Roles

In a healthy marriage, both parties agree on the roles of one another. For instance, if a woman wants to be a stay-at-home mother and have her husband go to work, both individuals should feel this is best for the household. The same applies for who does which chores.

6. Forgiving and Understanding for a Happy Marriage

In successful marriages, things aren’t perfect. Neither of the two people are perfect. Therefore, it’s important for both people to learn to forgive and understand. In this type of relationships, both people get to a point where they’re very comfortable exposing their weaknesses.

Successful marriages aren’t perfect, nor are they easy. They require work and dedication. They require more than just love between one another.