How to Protect Your Marriage/Relationship from External Threats
Sometimes things just go wrong in your relationship and you just can’t figure out what is going wrong with your partner; you try to tackle the issue to no avail. In such moments, you can’t just tell if you’re the problem or your partner is. Everything just seems to be working against your union.
Donald and Monivick faced this challenge in their relationship. They had been together for three years, and their relationship had been a blissful one. They had supported each other through thick and thin and had never let anything get in the way of their love. They were so in love that they had decided to move in together, and everything seemed perfect.
Donald had been dealing with some problems at work, and he had not been handling them well. He was constantly stressed and frustrated, and he started taking his frustrations out on Monivick. He would come home late, not talk to her, and he was always on his phone, responding to work emails even when they were spending time together. Monivick tried to be understanding, but she was starting to feel neglected and unimportant to Donald. She tried to talk to him about it, but he would brush her off, telling her that he was dealing with some important work-related issues and that she should understand.
Things started to escalate quickly, and the couple began to fight more often. Donald's stress levels were through the roof, He would snap at her over the smallest things, and their communication became almost non-existent. Monivick had been feeling alone and neglected, and she decided to confront Donald. She told him that she was tired of feeling like she wasn't important to him and that she felt like he was prioritizing work over their relationship. Donald exploded and started yelling at her, telling her that she was being unreasonable and that she should understand the pressures of his job.
Their argument ended with Donald storming out of the apartment, and he didn't come back that night. The following day, Monivick received a text from Donald, telling her that he needed some time to figure things out and that he didn't know if he was ready to be in a relationship. It was a devastating blow to Monivick, who had thought that they could work through anything. She realized that the problems that Donald was facing had destroyed their relationship. She was left confused as to who was at fault and where she possibly went wrong. Donald on his side was in a terrible state as to what exactly happened and why their relationship shattered so fast.
Besides moving in together before marriage, Donald and Monivick made another fundamental mistake. They had let external issues affect their relationship. If you find yourself in a similar situation where external problems are affecting your relationship, here are five tips on how to protect your relationship from external threats:
1) Communication is Key
One of the most important things you can do is to communicate with your partner. Share your feelings and concerns with them and encourage them to do the same. Be open and honest about what you are going through and how it's affecting you. Try not to keep things bottled up, as this can cause more problems in the long run. Research has shown that communication is crucial in a relationship. In fact, a study published in the SAGE journal found that couples who communicate effectively are more satisfied with their relationships and have a lower likelihood of breaking up. When external problems arise, it's important to talk to your partner about how you feel and how it's affecting you. Keeping lines of communication open will help you both to deal with the external problem together and prevent it from affecting your relationship.
2) Prioritize Your Relationship
It's easy to get caught up in external problems and let them take over your life. However, it's essential to prioritize your relationship and make time for your partner, this will show your partner that they are important to you and that you value your relationship. It's also important to make time for fun and relaxation together, as this can help you both de-stress and strengthen your bond. Show them that you value their presence in your life. Try to spend quality time together and do things that you both enjoy.
3) Don't take it out on each other
A study conducted by the University of Denver found that couples who used positive communication and avoided negative communication had a more successful and satisfying relationship. When external problems arise, it's easy to take out your frustrations on your partner. However, this can cause unnecessary tension in your relationship. Instead of lashing out at each other, try to find other ways to deal with your emotions. Maybe talking to a friend, getting distracted with entertaining activities such as sport, music, sometimes 30 minutes of alone time to reflect on your relationship will also help.
4) Support each other
When external problems arise, it's important to support each other. You should both be there for each other, offer emotional support, share responsibilities, and work towards a common goal. This will help you both feel like you're in it together, and it can also help you both feel less stressed and overwhelmed. Supporting each other will strengthen your bond and reduce your chances of getting affected by other issues.
5) Seek Professional help
Sometimes, external problems can be too much to handle on your own. If you're struggling to cope with external problems and they're affecting your relationship, it may be helpful to seek professional help. This could mean seeing a therapist, counselor, or financial advisor. A therapist can help you both deal with the external problem and prevent it from affecting your relationship. A therapist can also help in improving your communication and work through any other issues you may be facing, helping you overcome external issues and strengthen your relationship.
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By following all these tips, you can keep external problems from affecting your relationship. Remember, a healthy relationship takes work, but it's worth it in the end. We hope this article was helpful. Please leave a comment below and let us know what topic you'd like us to discuss next. Also, share this article with your loved ones and SUBSCRIBE to our channel for more relationship advice. Thank you for reading and see you in the next one.