10 ways to guard your marriage against breakup

culled from:http://pulse.ng

A high percentage of marriage don't last anymore these days, owing to a lot of factors.

Some of the factors can be managed, while others are sometimes beyond control, like domestic violence for instance.

This high rate of marriage breakup makes a lot of single men and women dread the thought of getting married.

So how do you guard your marriage against a divorce? Here are 10 tips to help you achieve this:

1. Good communication: One of the keys to a lasting marriage is communication. It is a very important component of married life. Every couple needs to understand each other's likes and dislikes and work towards them to make each other happy.
2. Personal time: As a couple, you need to spend lot of time with each other, but it is also necessary to provide personal space in one another's life. Only then, your partner feels that he/she is living his/her life as well. According to many couples, lack of personal space has been found to be a a major cause of divorce.
3. Faithfulness: Fidelity is a fundamental step as to how you can save your marriage from a divorce. Give your partner the utmost priority and make her/him feel important. Love your partner unconditionally and be faithful to her/him. Building trust, love and faith can never lead to a divorce.
4. Physical contact: Hugs, kisses and slight touches are ways to express love between couples. Pausing for a hug and a kiss before you leave for work in the morning may seem like a small silly thing, but the warm glow it gives you, is something to look back on all day.
5. Make friends with people in solid relationships: It is a very good advice to be friends with people with strong relationships. If you are surrounded by people who are planning for a divorce or are already divorced, soon your marital life might be at risk and you might also get the idea of a divorce.
6. Manage your finances: Money is another major reason for a divorce. As a couple, it is a good practice to manage your finances right from the beginning so that you do not land in trouble later. Plan together and make sure each of you are aware of the other's spendings, so that debts and taxes to catch you off guard and result to marital problems.
7. Be honest: Always keep in mind about how you can save your marriage relationship is by sharing everything with your partner and being open. If you are fond of lying all the time, your partner won't trust you, and that in itself is a problem.
8. Relax and make time to intimacy: Set out time to relax together by going for picnics, play with each other and also making out time for intimacy. Sex is the culmination of all things that are done throughout the day.
9. Plan your future together: Dream together and plan for a wonderful future. Since you're married, you need to do things together and not spring unpleasant surprises on your partner if you want your marriage to actually last.
10. Pick your fights: Quarrels and arguments are part of the package called marriage, but make sure it has a purpose and immediately settle it. Don't let minor issues escalate and become major problems. Try talking about a problem before it gets out of hand.