How to Survive and Thrive in a Happy Marriage

Many of my clients in couples therapy in Wake Forest say they feel disconnected from themselves and each other. Many married people feel unloved and unseen by their partners. Or they want to improve their communications skills, find parts of themselves they have been disconnected from and become better, happier versions of themselves.

Why Self-Care Matters?

Why should we emphasize self-care when it comes to our mental health and relationships? Because self-care is the backbone of our well-being.  In my practice in marriage counseling, I often see how much more progress my individual clients and couples can make when they start taking care of themselves.

While self-care involves care about self, I like thinking of it as family care too.

Why? Because not only we need self-care as individuals, but our family members need us to take care of ourselves.

Most of us have so much on our plates to juggle every day. If we don’t care for ourselves, we cannot create enough space for our partners and children to be there for us authentically. In other words, we cannot be present with anyone in our lives when we have no energy.

Our energy levels fluctuate throughout the day. If you don’t use it mindfully, the infinite amount of energy you have in the morning can seep away, leaving you feeling drained and depleted at the end of the day.

Many of my clients in marriage counseling in Raleigh, especially women, feel exhausted and empty at the end of the day because they spend their energy on so many things and give it to everyone without mindfully taking care of themselves. So, when they rejoin with their loved ones at the end of the day, these women feel emotionally worn out. What happens then?

When you feel empty and like you have nothing to give, you expect others to care for you. You may send verbal and non-verbal messages to your partner and children that you need them to be perfect, or you will lose your temper. You may storm at them for the tiniest slip-up.

In other words, your loved ones may feel like they don’t room for mistakes and imperfections – they don’t have room to be themselves because you expect them to behave a certain way. Otherwise, you are going to hit the roof. You need support and care because you didn’t take care of yourself, and this backlashes against your family.

Couples Therapy in Wake Forest for Better Self-Care

We owe it to ourselves, our partners, and our children to take care of ourselves. Marriage retreat in NC can be a safe place to work through these issues and learn how to reconnect with your authentic self and take better care of your needs. Individual or marriage counseling can help you understand the stresses in your life, how you can minimize them, and improve your life, so you can better show up for your partner and your family.

A professional counselor can also help you develop helpful self-care strategies if you experience relationship issues such as communication problems, lack of passion in a relationship, feeling emotionally disconnected, or lack of trust.

Self-care is essential if you are going through a severe life crisis such as infidelity or divorce. If you are thinking about walking away from a cheating husband, for example, self-care should be the first thing to take care of. 

But even if you are in a happy marriage, self-care should always come as a priority, without feeling guilty about it.

Self-care can come in many forms, and there is no one-size-fits-all self-care strategy. While self-care can be different for different people, it usually involves activities that you find enjoyable and relaxing.

These can include reading a book, spending time with people you care about, going for a walk, engaging in hobbies, etc. – in short, the activities can help you achieve lasting mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

Summary

Many of us become overwhelmed by day-to-day tasks, forgetting to take good care of ourselves. A marriage retreat in NC can be a good choice if you want to develop self-care strategies that will help you reconnect with yourself and the people around you.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment in my Wake Forest or virtual office, do not hesitate to call me at (703)-347-3200 for your free of charge 15-min phone consultation. You can also book your free 15 min phone consultation online by clicking here.