17 Great Loving Action Habits to Improve Your Marriage

Photo by jdurham

1. Pray for and with your spouse
2. Listen to your spouse with your full attention
3. Validate your spouse's feelings
4. Consider your spouse's point of view
5. Notice your spouse's good qualities
6. Thank your spouse for what he or she does for you
7. Serve your spouse in ways that are meaningful for him or her
8. Honor your spouse's boundaries
9. Spend lots of time with your spouse
10. Be honest and trustworthy with your spouse
11. Forgive your spouse
12. Reassure your spouse of your unconditional love for him or her
13. Give your spouse thoughtful gifts (can be free or inexpensive)
14. Write your spouse a love note (it doesn't have to be long)
15. Ask your spouse how you could be a better spouse and then do what he or she asks (as long as it doesn't disagree with your own morals or God's word) 
16. Treat your spouse like you used to before you were married. Odds are you were kinder, more polite and more agreeable in your dating phase (if that's not true for you then kudos to you)
17. Compliment your spouse often (item 5 will help with this one)

The first twelve loving action habits to improve your marriage were adapted from "Loving Your Spouse with a Whole Heart" by Whitney Hopler in the Crosswalk.com Live It e-newsletter dated May 10, 2012. Her article was "a report on the practical applications of Dr. Greg Smalley and Dr. Shawn Stoever's book, The Wholehearted Marriage: Fully Engaging Your Most Important Relationship, (Howard Books, 2009)."

The last five ways to value your spouse (loving action habits) were my own additions.