Offering Encouragement to Your Spouse
Cheering for your partner is an important part of the marriage. Everyone can benefit from some well-meaning words of encouragement in life. And showing that you are your partner’s number one fan can mean a lot.
Encouraging your partner is also cheering for the relationship. Marriage should not be about competition or jealousy. Instead, it needs to be about wishing that your partner is happy and successful. This might mean that they get to be the center of attention and you might feel “out shined.” But true teamwork means that you are willing to accept your role as the cheerleader when your partner is working.
Encouraging your partner means saying, “You can do it.” Before your partner attends a big meeting at work, say, “I know you’ll do great.” Or when your partner is nervous about a job interview, you can relieve some of their anxiety by saying, “I believe in you.”
Encouragement also means that you give some positive reinforcement when your partner is feeling tired and discouraged. If your spouse has been feeling overwhelmed with work lately, offer a healthy dose of encouragement. Remind him, “You only have one more week and things will slow down.” Encouragement may mean helping your spouse to see the big picture or offering a reminder of the positive aspects of life.
Encouragement is especially needed when things are not going well. If your spouse has experienced a loss or a setback, some words of encouragement can go a long way. Remind your spouse that you are a partnership and offer some reminders of this. Saying something like, “We’ll get through this,” or “We can figure it out together,” can go a long way.
Words of encouragement should be provided frequently. Life is tough and having some frequent reminders from your partner that you can do it can make the world seem like a better place. Text messages, emails, and written notes can be a great addition to saying these things out loud.
