10 Steps to a Marriage That Can Go The Distance
Marriage is tough, but a survey by family law firm Brookman Solicitors of over 1,000 married individuals has revealed some wise words on how to go the distance. The survey asked 1006 married individuals about their experiences within their marriages to date, common problems faced, and what advice they would provide to newlyweds hoping to maintain their vows for a lifetime. Of those surveyed, 76 percent had been married for over 20 years, so there were plenty of anecdotes and words of wisdom to share! Check out the list below.
Marriage can be hard work
It’s fair to say that no marriage is plain sailing and there will be challenges along the way, but this isn’t necessarily a sign that your marriage is in trouble! An overwhelming 85 percent of respondents felt that people gave up on marriage too easily these days, with 74 percent of those surveyed admitting that they faced significant troubled points or difficulties during their marriage.
The top five difficulties faced included:
- Financial pressures
- Illness
- Poor communication
- Disagreements over raising children
- Time apart caused by work
Communicate and Compromise
For every problem, there is a solution, and when asked how they overcame these issues, the top five answers were:
- Communication
- Compromise
- Not reacting
- Counseling
- Improving their work situation
External Pressures
With many high profile divorces and marriage breakups played out extensively in the public eye, 55 percent of respondents agreed that the media has glamorized divorce in recent years. 75 percent of those surveyed also felt that social media was having a negative effect on relationships.
10 Steps to a Happy Marriage
When asked what advice they would give to newlyweds to make their marriage last the distance, the respondents had these wise words of wisdom.
- Communicate
- Respect
- Compromise
- Honesty
- Don’t sweat the small stuff.
- Make time for each other.
- Patience
- Don’t ignore problems.
- Listen
- Work at it.
“A breakdown in communication is one of the most common issues we hear from clients who are making an application for a divorce,” explains Henry Brookman from Brookman Solicitors. “As can be clearly seen in the results from our survey, this can happen for varying reasons and can lead to a spiraling effect, which without intervention, could cause the relationship to break down completely. The overwhelming advice given by the couples we surveyed was simply to just keep talking and to tackle problems as and when they occur, so that you can move on with a long, happy, and fulfilled married life.”
This article originally appeared on our sister site, Yours.
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