Put It On The Calendar: Why Weekly Meetings With Your Spouse Can Be A Good Thing
Uncovering the secrets of a successful marriage can sometimes feel like an impossible task. It is inevitable that relationships can become strained at the edges over time — finding a way to improve your issues is a challenge. From parental responsibilities to holiday planning to onerous chores and budgeting, there are a myriad of different pressure points that can lead to upsetting confrontations with your partner — and if you don't know how to deal with them as they come, things might only get worse over time.
One possible solution to avoid unresolved marriage issues is to schedule a weekly meeting with your partner to discuss the problems that are adversely impacting your well-beings. These chats can be an opportunity to discuss matters as trivial as the allocation of chores to more life-changing matters such as home relocation or career progression. Here we'll summarize the benefits of penciling in weekly relationship meetings as well as the potential drawbacks so you can decide if it's the right path for you.
Why weekly meetings with your spouse could be a positive choice
Scheduling weekly meetings with your spouse might seem a little odd at first, but for many couples, it can be a life-changing practice: especially if your marriage is suffering from communication breakdowns.
Psychotherapist Barton Goldsmith PhD is a vocal advocate for weekly relationship meetings and has described the goal of this practice as being to "increase awareness, bring greater peace and harmony into your lives, and develop deeper communication," he told Psychology Today, adding, "The support and understanding that can come from these gatherings create more depth and a richer experience in your relationship."
This richer experience has been attested to by social media influencer Stephanie Booe whose viral post has been viewed 13 million times. Booe told Huffington Post that these meetings are "100,000% worth it" and that it has become a "non-negotiable" fixture of the week. These thoughts are echoed by Camillestyles content marketing director Brittany Chatburn, who recently shared an anecdote of her experience. "These meetings began to breathe life into our relationship and set us up for a week where we were on the same page logistically and emotionally," she said. "As partners, teammates, parents, and lovers. It's been the linchpin to a thriving relationship and, by proxy, a healthy family dynamic."
These weekly meetings may have adverse affects
Rigidly adhering to a weekly relationship meeting could be a negative choice for some couples. It may feel more like a corporate-style exercise as opposed to a heartfelt and honest conversation with a loved one. As Act2Change family therapist Adam Albrite told the Huffington Post, "In fact, some couples even avoid this kind of structure for fear of over-engineering their lives and relationships."
While a weekly couples meeting might work for some relationships, for others, it might not be enough to resolve deep-rooted issues. If you find yourselves in the latter category, it may be more beneficial to visit a couples therapist who can provide a more objective viewpoint and offer clinical expertise. Ultimately, a weekly relationship meeting is just one of many actions to help improve relations with your spouse. Each relationship is unique, so it's best to identify a compromise that each of you can work towards and take it from there.