Every marriage goes through hard times at one point or another. When you spend so much time with another person, you’re bound to rub each other the wrong way at least on a few occasions. But when these occasions seem to start coming more and more frequently, you may be tempted to just call it quits. However, with a little hard work and dedication, almost any marriage can be salvaged and turned from bad to good. To show you how, here are three tips for strengthening your marriage and avoiding a divorce.

Make Dates A Priority

It can be hard for a couple to feel like they’re connecting when they’re not taking the time to connect on a regular basis. Because of this, Wayne Parker, a contributor to The Spruce, recommends that you keep yourself in the mindset of courting by making regular dates a priority. These dates don’t have to be big and fancy or require you to spend a lot of time or money in the preparation. As long as you and your spouse are willing to spend a few hours together each week doing something that you can enjoy and that will help to bring you together as a couple, your dates will prove to be a success for your marriage. Similarly, you should be making time for each other in the bedroom. You might both be tired from work, but making an effort is what relationships are all about. There’s also nothing wrong with looking at getting some toys from a site such as Femplay if you need a little more encouragement when it comes to time together in bed.

Create Rules When Discussing or Arguing

It’s very easy to have hurt feelings that just don’t heal in a marriage. Especially if communicating effectively with one another is something you and your spouse struggle with, it may feel like you never have closure for any of your old arguments. So to move forward on the right foot, SaveMyMarriage.com suggests that you begin setting rules for when you’re discussing or arguing. These rules should consist of being fair, productive, and not calling names or getting insulting. If you instill these rules and commit to following them, you should be able to have more productive discussions that end with less hurt feelings.

Clarify Your Expectations

Part of what could be causing problems within your marriage is having expectations that aren’t being met. This may be due to a lack of knowledge of what your partner is expecting of you or of your relationship as a whole. To combat this, Laurence Schuler, a contributor to MyHealthyLivingCoach.com, recommends being clear about your expectations with everything with your spouse. This includes expectations about money, spending time together, communication, work and more. By making these expectations clear, you should be able to work toward fulfilling them together.

However, there might be a situation in which you and your partner have conflicting values leading to irreconcilable differences which can’t be solved. In such regard, it can be beneficial to clearly communicate the causes of relational strain and validate each other’s feelings. You may also seek the help of a marriage counsellor to explore the difficult issues you are facing. Nevertheless, a feeling of disconnection with your partner or emotional abuse can prompt the need for divorce. For this purpose, you can contact a reputable lawyer such as Peters May who can provide you legal advice and navigate through the divorce process.

Final thoughts

If you and your spouse want to strengthen your marriage and steer clear of divorce, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you do just that. This often requires intentional effort and communication from both sides. By prioritising open communication and emotional intimacy, couples can build a peaceful foundation for their existence.