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Last month I posted some ideas to help improve marriage and slow down life at the same time.
For the most part I’ve been living by these ideas, trying to live life slowly and deliberately, although there are many times when the immediate seems to overtake the important.
I think there is a direct correlation between slowing down life and improving life.
That is as long as the speed at which you live life is not an attempt to avoid some of life’s problems and struggles. For example, if your marriage or home life is rocky so it may seem easier to work longer hours and be involved in more things outside of the home, thus avoiding the marriage problems.
If you live life at a fast pace due to avoiding things, it’s time to confront the problems head on. If your life is fast for some other reason, here’s a few more ideas to help you slow down.
I opened up the discussion to my friends on Twitter and here’s what they have to add:
- Less TV – @Lifegains
- Before getting out of bed, set an intention for the day and share it. – @barnfry
- Moved out of a big city and to the country – @KingTor
- Shower or bathe together – @michaelannalea
- Live within the natural rhythm of life – @bunzymay
- Socialize as a family, with other families – @hismilkmaid
- Learn to say no – @michaelannalea
- Date nights – @hismilkmaid
- Stay home and enjoy time as a family – @tino806
- Take up a hobby together – @lauriehenry
- Cook together vs. eating out – @alisabow
- Watch the sunset
- Eat home cooked meals together away from the TV – @jtw78
- Make one night a week an “at home” night – @dandyer
- Invite some friends over for a long dinner together.
- Keep one eye open and the other shut – @judygruen
- Staying away from Twitter – @mochadad
Now it’s your turn – how have you improved marriage and slowed life down at the same time?
Corey is the editor of Simple Marriage as well as a licensed marriage & family therapist. While he has a Ph.D. in Family Therapy, he only occasionally likes to be called doctor. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe so you don't miss any future posts.- What To Do When She Makes More Than Him
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We’ve only been married for a few weeks, but we lived together during our engagement. We just started an official cocktail hour: for the first hour or so after my husband gets home from work, we have a drink (usually alcoholic, but sometimes not) and sit on the porch while the dogs play outside. Usually we have munchies – great because they help prolong the hanging out before we head inside to make dinner and get things done. It’s been fantastic.
Number 7 says “Learn to Say No”…and I would like to add to it “…and Not Feel Guilty About It” I have learned to say no to commitments but I am still learning how to not feel guilty about saying no. If I don’t let the guilt go then I don’t enjoy the extra time that I made available by saying no in the first place.
The hub and I have been playing racquetball together and sitting out on the porch swing together. We are making more time to play together and to talk together. It’s been great!
Go for a walk.
Try leaving one (or both) cell phones at home.
Lay in the hammock together.
Take a scenic drive off the interstate.
Great tip. Thanks for adding this one.
Re tips offered :
#2. Love it!
#5. Huh? What does that mean?
#10. Check. Hence “Hank and Nelia.”
#16. Interesting perspective.
Marisa, Laurie and George Burdell : Love the porches and the hammocks. Any ideas re a loft equivalent?
My tip : Establish a book club for two.
A relationship or marriage is like a potted plant.
Be considerate,caring and respectful and put the plant in the sun, water it when it needs it and pick off the dead leaves!
You will be guaranteed a healthy time because you don’t ignore.
My wife and I had a great time reading the same books together. We’ve had a lot of conversations of our thoughts on the Twilight series… It’s romantic and “girly” enough to keep her interest, and dark/odd enough to keep mine…
Make each other a priority every day. By thinking of your spouse first helps keep the rest of the world at bay. Keep things simple and not join the rat race. The less things you allow to own your time and you the more your spouse will enjoy you therefore the more life you’ll enjoy.
Those are great!
I would add playing together. Play tennis together, or play soccer together, or play games together. Just do something together!
We take walks together after dinner instead of watching television, and that just gives you time to reconnect. And when the kids were little, we’d push them in the stroller because it was the only time we could find to talk!
Visit To Love, Honor and Vacuum today!
I’ll add my voice to those saying “take walks together”. My husband and I do that occasionally and it’s always nice. It’s usually after dinner, so we jokingly call it our “evening constitutional”. It’s a great way to reconnect and talk about big or little things. I’ve learned many things about my husband during our walks that I might not have otherwise known.