Friendship is the foundation of a healthy marriage and various studies have shown that couples with a strong friendship also enjoy higher marital satisfaction. That’s why it’s important to strengthen the friendship in your marriage and ensure that your spouse always remains your bestie. But the stress of managing the responsibilities of career, children and finances that usually accompany marriage often causes a marital relationship to grow apart. In this article’ I’ll be sharing five steps to help deepen your marital friendship and cultivate a stronger relationship with your spouse.

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Spend planned time together: Day to day responsibilities leave couples with little or no time to devote to each other. Couples need to set aside a specific period each week for spending quality time doing something they enjoy together. Remove distractions, such as social media and television, and focus on each other’s needs. Find out what would interest your spouse to do the things you enjoy together. It could mean taking a hike, going to the theatre for a movie, attending a concert, or taking a class together. Even if it's only for an hour or so, make sure that you spend quality time together each week.


Communicate everyday: After a hard day at work or a busy day at home, don’t choose to silently scroll through your phone or lounge in front of the television after dinner with your spouse sitting next to you. Instead, before going to bed, spend that time chatting with your spouse about the day, the children, or your goals. Remember, that communicating is more about listening than talking. Make an effort to listen patiently to encourage your spouse to share their feelings. Communicating on a daily basis can bring more closeness and help forge a deeper connection with your spouse.


Share your spouse’s interests: Explore the interests of your spouse and join them in the things they like to do even if you are not passionate about them. The idea is not to force yourself to like doing something that your spouse does, but it’s about spending some enjoyable moments together. Whether its football, art, music or gardening, find out your spouse’s common interests and engage in them for the sake of your relationship. The sacrifice can be worth it because not only will you be giving yourself a chance to do the things that you may otherwise never have done on your own, but you will also find these activities are enjoyable and bringing you both closer to each other.


Support your spouse: Even if you have your share of differences with your spouse, always make sure that you are always on their side, no matter what. Always stand up for your partner even if it means going against the world. Avoid saying or doing anything that could leave our spouse feeling insignificant or alone. Show genuine interest in their dreams and goals, and genuinely make them yours too. Extending unconditional support will make your spouse feel that they can always count and depend on their marital friendship.


Be physically demonstrative: Holding hands, hugging and kissing goodbye are all ways of demonstrating affection and making your spouse feel loved. Through simple gestures, such as a lingering kiss or holding your spouse's hand, you exchange positive energy that's warm and comfortable, creating a sense of friendship and bonding.

If you and your spouse are having difficulties building or nurturing your friendship, contact Orly Gueron a Licensed marriage and family therapist and relationship specialist in Aventura, FL!