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If your married life is full of love, praises, and corny appreciation, you are probably a newly married couple. Because as the relationship matures, love is not the only thing that matters. Your tolerance level reduces, and you probably start taking each other for granted. You will begin to get on each other’s nerves, scream at each other, and have conflicts. But that doesn’t mean you don’t love each other. It just means that there are more important things than love that are needed for a healthy marriage.
With your work schedule and your partner’s boss driving them nuts, it’s no surprise that you take it out on each other after a long day. The romantic date nights become yelling matches and the weekend getaways become weekend runaways. While it’s common for married couples to bicker and banter, these small fights will turn into big ones unless you actively do something about it.
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In a fit of anger, couples say a lot of mean things to each other. It’s not easy to forgive and, indeed, not easy to forget. Marriage is a long hard road that requires hard work, effort, patience, and commitment from both ends. It’s not always going to be a bed of sweet-smelling roses, and there are bound to be prickly thorns, but the 5:1 ratio might just be the magic formula for a happy marriage. Curious to know what it is? Read this article to find out more!
Marriage is not complete without arguments and disagreements. All interactions between a married couple are not positive, and perhaps it shouldn’t be. There should be a mix of good times and bad because that’s what life is, but how do you protect your marriage from getting bitter and losing its charm? Well, that’s where the 5:1 magic formula works!
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The 5:1 formula states that for every negative interaction a couple has, five positive interactions have to occur. Suppose you lash out at your partner for throwing his wet towel on the bed— AGAIN, you list five of his good behaviors that you appreciate or can even learn from. It’s a great technique to tip the scales in favor of your marriage rather than heading down a slippery slope. The 5:1 ratio acts as a great litmus test to determine where you are in your relationship. If you and your partner are at a 2:3, you know things are not looking good. If it’s at a 1:1, you might need more help than you think. The 5:1 formula encourages you to have a happy, healthy, and long-lasting marriage.
It’s easy to get caught up in the nitty-gritty of daily life. You might want to have a positive interaction with your partner, but sometimes, the negative ones outweigh the positive ones. To keep this in check, here are 3 tips to help you:
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- Stay Connected
You might be busy and away from your partner throughout the day but drop small sweet messages to check on them. Simple gestures like these go a long way. A basic text asking them if they’ve eaten shows them that you’re thinking about them and makes a lot of difference.
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- Stay Curious
When the honeymoon period is over, you might be bored in your relationship. However, stay curious and ask each other questions about your day. Being interested in each other’s lives will keep things interesting.
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- Stay Appreciative
In the long run, it is common for married couples to take each other for granted, which can be frustrating. Don’t forget to appreciate each other for the big things and the little things forgotten most often.
In a long-term marriage, routine becomes inevitable, and novelty is lost. But little moments and tiny gestures keep the spark alive and show the other that you care. Don’t forget to tell your partner you love them and appreciate them for everything they do for you!
