Have you ever considered the health of your relationship? We all know what to do when our physical health is challenged. If we cut ourselves, we reach for a Band-Aid. When we have a fever or other symptoms, there is an endless supply of cold remedies and antibiotics. We know what you need to do to maintain the health and care of our bodies, including regular exercise, sleep and a healthy diet. When we ignore the warning signs, it is more difficult to bounce back. We need to pay attention and practice what we need to do to enjoy good health. So is true with relationships. Many couples come to us after attention and care has been ignored, in some cases for many years. Just as we can get ourselves into a state of physical and emotional burn out, we can find ourselves with relationship burn out. Do you recognize early warning signs and symptoms of relationship stress and fatigue? Do you notice when your relationship reservoir is getting low and needs filling up? When it comes to caring for relationships, many of us do not know what to do as we did not have good role models to teach the value of nurturing a relationship. So how do we put into practice those ingredients that produce healthy relationships? Fortunately, much has been learned about what we can do. Paying attention to how we listen and speak to one another, having good repair tools after an argument, being truly curious about ourselves and our partner, tuning into their needs not just giving them what we think they need, but delivering what they are asking for. Kindness and a caring attitude, a sense of humor and humility all go a long way. These are just a few things we can practice. How do you take care of your relationship and what could each of you do better to improve the health of your relationship? We would love to hear from you!

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