If you saw smoke billowing out of a house, would you wait until it was engulfed in flames before seeking help? No. So don't wait until your marriage is a blazing inferno of discontent before you try to put out the fire. Remember, where there's smoke, there's fire, so here are seven extinguishers to give help to your blazing bad marriage.
Act Immediately
Your
marriage is smoldering, but not in a good way, so act instantly and grab an extinguisher. A problem rarely, if ever, goes away on its own. If you think your marriage is flickering and about to explode, snuff out the problem quickly.
Work Together
For fires to burn out of control, they need fuel and an accelerant. If you don't work together like a fire fighting team to put out the flames of discontent, you're soon going to go from a small blaze to a firestorm.
Don't Add Fuel to Fights
What generally happens when a spouse is upset is that they will attempt to start a fight. Since they are married, they know exactly what buttons to push to get their spouse to add fuel to the fire.
If you see your spouse running toward you with a metaphorical match, douse it immediately. Say something like, "OK, I see you're upset. Why don't we sit down and talk about it." With that approach, your spouse will quickly run out of fuel to flame their fire.
Make Your Sex Life Sizzle
Some couples like to fight because make-up sex is so enjoyable to them. But if you want to prevent a fight to begin with, sometimes adding sizzle to your sex life can stop the flames before they escalate. That's not to say that couples who have great sex don't have problems, but sometimes keeping the fire alive in your bedroom will help to keep your spouse out of a bad mood or someone else's bed.
You're Hot
Sincere compliments often come too infrequently when a couple has been married for a while. So when your spouse is looking especially attractive, why not say, "You look hot." You'll put a smile on their face and later they might return the favor.
Don't Get Steamed Up Over the Small Stuff
Most fights start over something silly. Laundry undone, forgotten errands, chores not completed and so forth. If your spouse is continually making you hot under the collar about the small things, sit down and try to figure out what really has you steamed up and deal with that. In a week, a month or a year, you likely won't remember what got you fired up to begin with, but the fight itself, especially if it flares up, is something you likely won't forget.
Douse It with an Apology
If your spouse is fuming about something you did and it really is your fault, swallow your pride and smother their fury with a sincere apology. It's amazing how quickly something as simple as saying, "I'm sorry. I won't do it again," can do to help stop a blaze in its tracks.
Of course you want your marriage to have fire and passion but not the kind that can threaten to set your marriage ablaze with unhappiness. Help save your marriage before it sizzles and burns out.
Loading...