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trading places Archives - SYMBIS Assessment

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Communication Techniques Feel Awkward. What Do I Do Now?

By Communication No Comments

Do communication techniques feel awkward to you? You genuinely want more meaningful communication with your spouse. The problem is, whenever you try to apply a method you’ve learned, it feels awkward and unnatural. If you can’t use those techniques, what else are you supposed to do? Using communication tactics such as reflecting your spouse’s feelings might feel robotic and unnatural. You might feel like you’re going through the motions of an exercise. But getting agitated by a technique can actually distract you from your goal: better, healthier communication. If you struggle with using communication tools, what should you do? Is…

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My Spouse Says I Always Keep Score. Who’s Right?

By Conflict, Marriage No Comments

What’s “fair” in marriage? Do you and your spouse keep score? We like to say that scorekeeping is for sports, not for marriage. There’s no scoreboard in your living room, and no referees calling each play. It’s just you and your spouse–and if you’re not playing on the same team, you’re headed for conflict. Do you feel like you’re carrying more than your share of the load in your marriage? If so, how can you find a better balance? Let’s talk about it. Scorekeeping Holds You Both Back Scorekeeping in marriage holds both you and your spouse back. It keeps…

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Should We Stay Together for the Kids?

By Intimacy, Parenting No Comments

If you’re unhappy in your marriage, should you stay together for the kids? Marital satisfaction ebbs and flows over the course of a lifetime. It’s common for spouses to go through seasons where they don’t feel as close to one another–or might even feel like roommates. Many couples with children who experience these dry seasons find themselves wondering whether they should stay together for the kids’ sake. Are you experiencing a season of distance from one another? Do your kids feel like the only thing you have in common right now? If that sounds familiar, there’s hope. Refocus on Your…

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How Can I Be A Better Spouse?

By Marriage No Comments

Do you want to be a better spouse? Setting out to improve your marriage requires self-awareness and a willingness to correct unhealthy patterns. It requires humility and dedication. Whatever state of health your marriage is in, you can always find ways to be a better husband or wife. Wondering what you can do to improve your marriage? We’ve gathered some practical answers to help you start on the right path. Let’s jump in. Ask Your Spouse One of the most enlightening things you can do to be a better spouse is simply asking how! Try asking your husband or wife,…

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My Spouse’s Friends Make Me Feel Bad About Myself. How Do I Handle It?

By Conflict, Relationships 3 Comments

Do your spouse’s friends make you feel bad about yourself? It’s incredibly painful when your spouse’s friends belittle, make fun of you, or otherwise treat you in a way that makes you feel inferior. Not only is it wrong of them; it hurts when your spouse doesn’t seem to notice how you’re feeling. So how are you supposed to handle this situation? Friendship dynamics that make you feel badly about yourself must be addressed between you and your spouse. If this situation is left to fester unresolved, it will continue to erode your self-worth. Ultimately, it will negatively impact your…

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Emotional Needs in Marriage: What’s Most Important?

By Marriage No Comments

Everyone has emotional needs. For each of us, those come down to a few top needs that are most important to us. With those emotional needs unmet, it’s difficult for us to walk in our spouse’s shoes. Because emotional needs are highly important, which ones should you prioritize first? Which emotional needs are the most important–yours or your spouse’s? That answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. You can do a few things to determine which needs to meet first in any given situation. Want to know more? Let’s jump right into it. Know Your Own Top Emotional Needs It isn’t easy to articulate…

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Career Roundup: Practical Advice for Married Professionals

Career Roundup: Practical Advice for Married Professionals

By Careers One Comment

Career growth and development is important for many married couples today. It’s likely that you and your spouse are both interested in growing both personally and professionally. Luckily, being married means you can be each other’s cheerleader and biggest fan along the way. Today, we’ve gathered some of our best career resources from the blog. Whether you’re setting priorities for the near future or navigating a career crisis, there are helpful tips for you here. We’re covering a variety of situations and solutions, so read on. Encourage Each Other’s Professional Growth First and foremost, it’s crucial to support one another’s…

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Listening 101: Tips to Help You Better Hear Your Spouse

By Communication 2 Comments

A common theme in marital conflict is the idea that one or both spouses don’t feel heard. Has your spouse ever told you that you’re not hearing them? If so, there are some things you can do to help them know that you’re listening–or that you’re working to understand where they’re coming from. It’s frustrating to hear that your spouse feels unheard or misunderstood, especially if you’re doing your best from one day to the next. However, it’s possible for effective communication to break down before either of you realize what has happened. The good news is, it’s possible to…

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Deeper Empathy in Marriage: What’s the Secret?

By Communication, Marriage 3 Comments

In marriage, it’s crucial to be able to empathize with one another. We like to think about it as trading places–taking a walk in one another’s shoes. Empathy is the key to a happy, successful marriage…but what is the key to empathy? We like to think of self-awareness as the number one secret to achieving empathy in marriage. Being aware of your own emotions, and able to look at them objectively, allows you to step outside yourself and pay closer attention to what your spouse is feeling or going through. When you lack self-awareness of your emotional state, you get…

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How to Back Your Empathy with Action

By Marriage, Relationships 3 Comments

Empathy is more than just taking an internal walk in your partner’s shoes. Instead, real empathy requires action. Without action, empathy won’t go very far in your relationship. As James D. Parker said, “Empathy alone matters little if we fail to act.” Empathy is transformative. It helps us see, hear, and understand one another like nothing else. And, when properly cultivated, it inspires action. We must back our empathy with action if we want to show our spouses how much we truly love them. So how can we back our empathy with action? Let’s dive in. 1. Set aside your…

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