Marriage is awesome, but it can also be really stressful some days!
Every marriage faces challenges. In fact, most of the strongest couples you know are probably the ones who have endured the most challenges together. Easy days in marriage bring rest, but it's the difficult days that bring growth.
Challenging and stressful situations will come. Preparing for them can help you endure them together in partnership with each other.
In no particular order, here are 12 of the most common causes of stress in marriage along with some resources to help you overcome them:
1. Financial stress
Stress related to money is now often listed as the number one cause of divorce (which is ironic, because divorce ends up causing much more financial stress). You and your spouse need to get on the same page with money.
2. Parenthood
We have 4 boys. Yes, you heard me right, FOUR. They're a huge blessing, but parenthood has been the most difficult assignment we've ever faced. We desperately want to get it right and I'm sure you do too if you're a parent!
3. In laws
The process of merging two families together is always messy. Creating healthy boundaries and dynamics with in laws can be challenging, but it's always well worth the effort for the overall health of your marriage and family.
4. Miscommunication
Communication does for a marriage what breathing does for a body. When communication is not happening clearly and consistently, the marriage will suffer.
5. Sexual Frustration
A lot of marital stress can be traced back to sexual frustration on the part of one or both spouse's. It takes more than sex to build a strong marriage, but it's nearly impossible to build a strong marriage without it!
6. Exhaustion
If you're running at a crazy pace (like most folks), exhaustion is going to catch up with you. I get it. Trust me.
7. Work stress
Many of us spend more waking hours at work than at home and if you have a stressful work situation, it will usually bring stress into the home as well.
8. Hurt feelings
If you've been married longer than five minutes, you've probably hurt each other's feelings before (whether you meant to or not). Forgiveness and rebuilt trust needs to happen.
9. Disagreements
You and your spouse won't always agree on everything. Disagreeing with mutual respect and a unified spirit is the key.
10. Poor health
"In sickness and in health" is one of the toughest (and most important vows). When you or your spouse is facing a health challenge, face it together!
11. Drifting apart from each other
When a marriage gets on "autopilot," there's a natural "drift" that happens. Be intentional about reconnecting.
12. You fill-in-the-blank
Stress comes in all shapes and sizes, so what you're facing may be nowhere on this list. With your situation (as with the others), face it with faith, perseverance and partnership with your spouse and you will overcome!
This article was originally published on Patheos. It has been republished here with permission.
