11 Tiny Bad Habits That Destroy Even The Strongest Marriage
Don't lose your relationship because of these things.
Constantinis | Canva For as much envying as we do of other couples, the truth is, even the most wonderful, "perfect" couple can end up divorced. What happened? They seemed so happy together! Despite how happy they started off as a couple, listening to marriage advice and making sure to put the work in, the pair was likely hiding an unending cycle of unhappiness within their relationship. And after keeping that all below the surface for too long, they felt like separating was their only option. This isn’t unusual at all. Many couples struggle to maintain a happy relationship, but their marriage still falls apart. What can you do? Here are 11 bad habits that, if left unaddressed, will slowly but surely erode the love and connection between partners.
Here are 11 tiny, bad habits that can destroy even the strongest marriage:
1. Not being on the same page with each other.
Often, couples lack alignment on the things that matter most and they feel like their own personal goals/feelings are the most important ones to focus on.
2. Not meeting each other's needs.
Every person has unique needs they hope their partner will fulfill. But often, couples fail to speak up about those needs or presume their partner's needs are the same as their own.
3. Letting disconnect become the norm.
This is when couples start to say things like, "I love you, but I am no longer 'in love' with you."
4. Allowing intimacy to dwindle.
The affection, connection, and tenderness you once shared dry up from lack of effort, leaving you merely roommates.
5. Neglecting each other.
Examples of this include blowing each other off, forgetting to follow through on things promised, and failing to pay attention. Neither of you necessarily meant to make other things more important than your spouse, but you did.
6. Harboring resentment for each other.
Unspoken or unresolved resentment festers and severely poisons a once-healthy relationship. One partner (or even both) can think: you did this thing to me and I can’t get over it.
7. Not dealing with things head-on.
You know things are off, but it's easier to do nothing about it. You avoid facing the truth or handling the real issues in your marriage.
8. Criticizing each other.
When you nitpick each other in your minds and out loud, soon you only see your partner's faults. After a while, complaining and criticizing become a comfortable habit, which compromises your willingness to communicate and interact in a compassionate, supportive way.
9. Turning your attention (and affection) elsewhere.
Whether by having an affair or pouring all of your attention into the kids, one or both of you checked out and sought attention and affection elsewhere. After that, it's easy to completely give up.
10. Letting stress control your lives.
Life is hectic and many couples accidentally let stress (big and small) come between them. But once stress takes over and shared togetherness fractures, it can feel incredibly difficult (if not impossible) to get it back.
11. Fighting to win.
When you're more focused on 'being right' than truly connecting, attempts to 'talk about it' usually make things worse. The longer the above issues remain unresolved in any marriage, the more these habits intertwine, intensify, and steadily reduce the flow of love and connection in your life. Each day, love dwindles and stress builds until even formerly happy couples reach their breaking point. And the single biggest mistake most couples make in this situation is thinking we can fix this if we just communicate better.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to want to talk about anything if you don’t feel valued and appreciated by your partner. And if you go through the typical couples counseling process issue by issue (combing through your version and your partner's), you'll frequently feel more separate afterward than pulled back towards each other. So, what can you do when your happy marriage feels miserable (and seems hopelessly lost)? Trying these approaches can help.
Here are 5 ways to break them:
1. Find a little perspective.
Focus on why you fell in love with your partner and what you want your life to become like together. Even better, tell your partner this without any expectations of them doing the same.
2. Start to repair the damage.
Apologize for your part in any misunderstanding. Don’t defend why you did or didn’t do this or that. Offer a simple, heartfelt apology without expecting one from them. This seriously can work wonders.
3. Be brave enough to go first.
Be willing to give to your partner first, instead of waiting for them to make the first move. This is rarely easy if you think they owe you, but you can do it because it’s helpful to your marriage.
4. Stop waging war.
Stop doing anything that's causing harm to your partner or injures your feeling of connection. This might simply mean showing a little more patience, compassion, and kindness.
5. Read The 90-Minute Marriage Miracle.
It’s full of helpful ideas that you can begin to use right away to repair the real issues in your marriage. The happiness and success of any marriage are reflected in the little things you do (and fail to do) for each other. Don't let your marriage fall apart, like so many couples do. Today, make a fresh start. Choose to do something that moves you out of the past and imagines a brighter future together.
Jeff Forte is a marriage therapist and author of The 90-Minute Marriage Miracle. He has over 15 years of experience with some of Wall Street’s top investment firms, including extensive interpersonal conflict resolution experience as a regional team development leader.