How Staying Balanced Could Help Avoid Marriage Problems

I have a question for you: What are you doing each day to center yourself and keep physically and emotionally balanced? If your answer is “nothing,” then you could be vulnerable to marriage problems down the road.

Why is this? When you’re experiencing imbalance in your life, such as exhaustion, stress, lack of sleep, depression, overeating…the list goes on, it’s near impossible to give the spouse the loving attention needed to nurture your marriage.

Sometimes our mate can see our own imbalances more clearly than we can. We often hear spouses ask “How do I get my husband back home earlier instead of working so much” or “How can I get my wife to eat better?”

One of the most helpful things you can do to keep your marriage on an even keel is to identify what helps to keep you emotionally centered and at peace within yourself while maintaining good physical health.

The answer will vary according to individual preferences and lifestyles. Some spouses find balance through regular exercise—working out at the gym, walking, jogging, playing tennis, swimming, dancing, yoga, or Tai Chi. Others keep centered through daily prayer or meditation, reading inspirational books, writing in a journal, or listening to inspirational music.

When you are feeling centered and in harmony with yourself and the world around you, you won’t be as likely to overreact to things that trigger your anger.

Instead of overreacting with anger or frustration, you’ll be more apt to see the triggers for what they are—a no-win invitation to add fuel to the fire—and you’ll become more adept at side-stepping them.

The result can be more love, peace, and harmony in your marriage and other relationships.

Reflection: Think of the circumstances in your life that disrupt your emotional harmony and physical health.

Question: What situations, circumstances or habits are affecting the harmony and health in your life?

Exercise: Start paying attention to your feeling of balance every day. You must be first aware of problems before you can fix them.

–By Nancy Wasson, Ph.D.

To see how you can create a better marriage by taking small, achievable steps, you may want to get our free Marriage Crisis First Aid 6-Part Course that also comes with our free weekly email marriage newsletter. Just submit your information and click Get Access Now.