Find out more: Tips to better your marriage.

In the movie theatre we watch the fairytale ending in happy marriage and give it little thought as we step out into the light of day, yet marriage is an ever growing and changing bond. Communication is a wonderful key to better your marriage and hand in hand with empathy you can look forward to a lifetime of companionship.

Conflicts within a marriage are the leading cause of marital discord and divorce, but conflict can actually help you to better your marriage! How people approach, deal with and solve a conflict can bring them closer and strengthen the bond between them.

The most useful tool in being able to better your marriage is the ability to empathize with your marriage partner. When a conflict arises being able to key into the other person’s view point helps you to understand how they feel and why they are reacting to the situation in the way that they do. Once you can empathise, it makes it easier to resolve the conflict in a constructive and peaceful manner.

Responding emphatically to your partner is another important point to better your marriage in the future. Listen with empathy and acknowledge when an action has caused a negative emotional response in your partner. Own it and if you see their point of view it will make it easier to understand why they feel as they do. This is a key for you to change behavior patterns in the future that may well cause conflict and also to remember that empathy is a two way street.

Always try to take a positive approach to conflicts. Be calm, state your feelings clearly and try not to be confrontational. No one enjoys having their faults picked out or enjoys being shouted at or made to feel inferior. Always keep criticism constructive and keep the conflict in the present tense. Rehashing old issues will not assist in clearing up the present conflict.

When working on ways to better your marriage it is important to try talk about your feelings in any given situation. When your partner does something to upset you, rather than point out the action, tell them why that action made you feel negatively towards them.

Always search for a positive solution to both parties. A conflict can be resolved in several ways. Both partners can end up with a lose-lose resolution to the conflict, or one can have their way while the other does not. This causes an imbalance that may well lead to further conflict. Try to compromise and pick an option that will be beneficial to both of you.

Take time out to better your marriage by scheduling regular quality time with your partner to discuss your progress. Touch base and plan a romantic dinner or some quiet time where you can relax and talk about your conflict resolutions and if you are both happy with things in the relationship. This is also a wonderful way to improve and strengthen the bond of marriage that brought you together in the first place.

More marriage recovery info: Failing Marriage - What Are The Reasons? or Save My Marriage