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The Top 4 Ways to Keep a Marriage Healthy and Thriving

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It’s a sad reflection of our society that 50% of marriages end in divorce. The reasons for this are many, including cultural changes, generational changes, the volatility of the economy, and so on. However, there are certain things that can be done to keep a marriage healthy in the long term so that this ending is avoidable.

  1. Look After Your Finances

At first, it might sound as if love is all that anyone needs to have a successful marriage, but reality has a habit of biting hard. One of the biggest reasons why many marriages fail is money trouble.

Not having enough money can cause couples to fight, but it’s actually a wider ranging issue than this. Nearly half of the people in a marriage lie about an impulse purchase they’ve made. This might not sound like too big of a deal, but it paves the way for more lying and possible financial ruin.

So, what about couples where one person likes to spend money and the other likes to pinch pennies? This is not an uncommon scenario, but this in and of itself is not always the cause of the problems. There’s nothing wrong with two people having a different approach to money, after all.

What needs to happen is that two people need to set out some ground rules at the start of their marriage. Both people need to understand what the limits on spending are and what the family budget is. Keeping track of spending through apps is a good idea, too.

The truth is that if a married couple has a financial plan in place, the lying is less likely to happen. It may not prevent it completely, but it can definitely help to keep the finances open and the rest of the relationship honest.

  1. Make Intimacy a Priority

It happens to most married couples, especially after the birth of their first child: a decrease in sexual intimacy. In fact, it’s another big reason why many couples end up in divorce court. At first, sex is common, but after a while familiarity creeps in, and it can become a real chore.

The truth is that any kind of intimacy, be it holding hands or kissing, tends to result in healthier marriages. Some couples like to schedule their sexual activity, but this can make it seem like a chore. It can be a tricky balance to figure out, but both people in the marriage need to see sexual intimacy is important enough to engage in. As long as both people are happy in this area, it doesn’t matter whether it happens once a day, once a week, or once a month.

  1. Keep Talking

A lack of communication between couples is another reason why so many marriages dissolve. Communication is one of the keys to a successful relationship, and it’s important to be as open and as honest as possible.

Though couples who fight passionately may seem as if they are in trouble, the truth is that displaying any passion in a marriage is actually a good sign that things really matter. It’s more of a concern when one or both people are simply uninterested and dispassionate.

  1. Remain Adaptable and Flexible

The truth is that circumstances will change as a marriage gets older. This may be sudden unemployment, illness, or changed financial circumstances. One of the hallmarks of any successful marriage is a capacity for both people to adapt to these changes and accept them.

The problem is that many couples enter marriage with rose-coloured glasses on and become upset when circumstances change. This is the time when it’s most important to be understanding and flexible.