The old routine: You two talk all the time—about work stress, money stress, what's for dinner that week (and who's making it), whose turn it is to fold the laundry...
The new habit: Set aside 10 minutes every day for a conversation that doesn’t revolve around to-dos or daily minutia
Why you'll be happier: Having open-ended conversations is critical to maintaining a happy union, says Terri Orbuch, a psychologist and the author of
5 Simple Steps to Take You Marriage From Good to Great. Her suggestions for topics: "If you won the lottery, where would you go and why?" "Which parent were you closer to growing up?" or "If you could start over with any career, what would it be?" "Our partners change over time, and there are new things going on with them," Orbuch says. "That third date was novel and interesting and surprising, and it was wonderful. Have that third date again."
