None of us need convincing that healthy habits are a good thing to pursue. But if it were easy to build and maintain healthy habits across important areas of our lives, then we’d be practically perfect. And not one of us is that.
Occasionally, my style of attempting to make healthy habits goes something like: Just do everything better.
After spending several hours making goals for 2022, my husband asked, “What’s taking so long?” When I told him I made goals for eight key areas of my life, he said, “That’s too many.” Three weeks into the New Year and I’m starting to agree. Just be better at everything doesn’t work very well.
Healthy habits of marriage
But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still make choices, day by day, that lead us toward the things we desire: health, wholeness, connection, intimacy.
So here are seven healthy habits to put your marriage on the path toward a greater relationship.
1. Put your phones down, close your computers, turn off the TV.
Like any other addiction, phone addiction is the enemy of true connection. You may scoff at the use of the word addiction. But chances are, at some point during the day, your eyes and attention are on a screen when your spouse (not to mention kids) wishes they were on them. Make sure your family knows they are more important to you than your screens.
2. Schedule time for connection.
If you’re newly married, this may sound unromantic or unnecessary, but life gets busy. Even if you both work from home and see each other all day, you’ve got to know that does not equal connection. Morning coffee together, regular date nights, even 20 minutes of catching up and checking in with each other before you turn on Netflix. Put it on the calendar. Set a reminder (then switch your phone to do not disturb!).
3. Find ways to have fun together.
Laughter and joy are powerful. “A joyful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22) and medical science agrees. Play or listen to music together, exercise, play a game, have a tickle fight—whatever you can both smile about.
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hope for the sojourn 