5 marriage habits to start before you tie the knots

Portia Arthur

May 2, 2016 10:23 AM

Marriage is an opportunity to learn, grow and evolve into your best selves. In challenging times, the best thing you can do is take responsibility for your role in the situation and do what you can to make things right.

Happy Couple

Think youll figure out how to make your marriage work as you go along? Thats one way to do it, sure. But, starting healthy habits before marriage can mean the difference between a marriage that thrives and lasts and a marriage that crumbles and ends in divorce.

Cultivating healthy habits builds a strong foundation so that when issues come up, both individuals are more skilled at resolving them in a respectful and considerate manner. So if you're ready to start working toward a happy and healthy marriage now, here's five habits you can work to develop. 1. Make your partner and relationship a priority

Your partner will come first after you tie the knot, and practicing making him a priority now will help you "experience and enjoy a deeper connection," explains Zimmerman.

2. Give each other freedom

Making one another a priority will mean a lot of one-on-one time. But "it's just as important to let each other freely do the things you do, as long as they are ethical and moral. By living your own lives pursuing hobbies, interests, spending time with friends you both find your happiness within rather than expecting your sole happiness to come from each other. And when you come together, your individual experiences enrich your relationship.

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3. Foster open communication

It's easy to be honest when the going's good. But practicing honest and open communication is an important skill to have mastered for when things get challenging.

Couples should learn to share their feelings and tackle conflict everyday. Learning to express frustration, anger or upset in a productive way is the key to avoiding built-up resentment in your marriage.

4. Take responsibility

Blaming your partner perpetuates unhealthy dynamics and keeps you both from what's most important resolving things in a respectful manner. But taking responsibility doesn't just count behind closed doors. Taking responsibility also means being responsible for the way you treat your partner in front of others. Always say nice things about him and if you're not able to, don't say anything at all.

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5. Check in with each other

You may experience this as your dating, and many go-go-go couples see this happen in their marriages: When life gets busy, it's easy for couples to become ships passing in the night.

Be sure to carve out time to see how the other is doing, ask how they are feeling, and if there's anything they would like to discuss related to your relationship. This makes your partner feel like they and the relationship matters.

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Portia Arthur