It’s easy to believe that your love will stay strong forever as you exchange wedding vows.
However, spending a lifetime together means that there will be many unforeseen challenges and stale periods in your relationship.
While many believe that getting married is the beginning of a fairy tale, the fact is that true love takes time and work even after the wedding day.
If you are recently married and worried the love wouldn’t last or have been married for a while and the passions are starting to cool, then try one of these great tips to keep the love strong in your marriage.
READ MORE: The Challenges That Couple Don’t Expect
Focus On Your Partner’s Strengths
It can be easy to focus on your partner’s flaws during rough patches.
However, this can lead to a toxic pattern where you only find things to criticize your partner about, even when they aren’t doing anything to warrant the criticism.
Instead, make sure to remind yourself of their strengths. Do they do an excellent job with certain chores? Are they incredibly smart? Are they good with cars?
Every human has both weaknesses and strengths, including your partner.
Chances are, you fell in love with your partner for those strengths, so reminding yourself of those qualities will help you keep your love for your partner.
Furthermore, focusing on their good traits may help you overcome those rough periods quicker.
When you remember how excellent your partner is, you’re more willing to resolve your differences and regain that sense of intimacy.
Also, don’t forget to check our guide on counseling for marriage
Schedule Date Nights
One reason couples drift apart is that they don’t schedule a time to be with each other.
Between careers, kids, and other responsibilities, taking time to keep the relationship strong may seem like a low priority.
However, this could not be further from the truth. Making particular time for you and your partner is crucial to maintaining intimacy throughout your marriage.
This is why date nights are so important. Dating doesn’t necessarily end just because you are married.
Many healthy couples continue to go on dates long after the wedding bells have rung. You don’t have to leave the house or do anything expensive to create an ideal date.
Simply cooking a nice dinner together or having a special movie night can be enough to keep the intimacy alive.
Communicate
Communication is key for any relationship to thrive, whether married or not. As the years go on and partners juggle more responsibilities, it can be easy to forget communication.
But frequently keeping each other up to date and discussing any crucial issues in the relationship or home is vital to keeping your marriage strong.
Furthermore, you should never assume your partner knows exactly what you want or need just because you have been married for years.
Couples who are married for a long time become comfortable with their partner understanding them, so they may not be in the habit of asking for what they want and need.
However, this can cause problems down the line as no human is a mind-reader, no matter how many years you have lived with them.
Keep Some Independence
Though spending quality time is essential, you should also keep some independence.
You’re going to spend the rest of your lives together, but that doesn’t mean you need to be next to each other every single minute.
Make sure to keep enjoying your hobbies and have your social circle. If you spend every waking minute with your partner, you will quickly become sick of each other.
The key to a happy marriage is making sure your bond is strong without suffocating one another.
Express Gratitude
It’s easy to take advantage of your partner after being together for several years.
But taking a few moments each day to think about all the ways you are grateful for them can undoubtedly keep the love strong.
You could be grateful for specific personality traits, skills, or even all the things they do around your home.
Maybe they help you with your bills or do all the laundry. There is undoubtedly a long list of qualities you are grateful for in your partner; remembering them often will certainly keep you in love.
Final Thoughts
Some people believe that life will be happily ever after once the wedding is over. Others believe it’s all downhill from there.
The truth is that although there will be some rough patches and ups and downs in your relationship, you can still do a lot to keep it strong throughout the years.
With date nights, gratitude, communication, and just the right amount of independence, you and your partner will be able to keep a strong and healthy love that lasts decades after the wedding ends.
I’m a freelance journalist/writer/content marketer with BA Hons in Journalism.