There’s no hard and fast rule to ensuring a problem-free marriage, but working with your spouse to establish a relationship founded on openness, acceptance, and respect can keep your union strong and sound. Here are a few tips that can work wonders for your marriage.

1. Identify your love language.
Sometimes, the root of your misunderstanding is the lack of insight into what your partner appreciates the most. Have you ever heard of love languages? The concept was introduced by author Dr. Gary Chapman in his book The Five Love Languages: How To Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. There, he discusses different ways people express their love. Knowing each other’s love language can help you connect on a deeper level and allows you to reciprocate your partner's love in the manner that matters most to him.

2. Keep communication lines open.

The moment you shut your better half out—retreating into your own thoughts and feelings and forgetting the value of honesty, understanding and compromise—is the moment you disregard your marriage. Don't succumb to the temptation. While there are moments when talking to each other would be the last thing you want to do, you need to go through the process of acknowledging what hurt you or him to move forward. By being accountable for your actions, you open the floodgates for forgiveness, resolution, adjustment, and improvement.

3. Don’t show conflict in front of other people.
It can be excruciatingly frustrating to get into an argument and yet not have the liberty to freely display or express your anger when the two of you are surrounded by family or friends, but that is what you must do. We're not saying you have to pretend that nothing is wrong, just that you should discuss the issue privately. Protect your marriage.

4. Date regularly.

The first few weeks or months may be bliss, but once the novelty of cohabitation has waned, it can be difficult to keep romance in the air. At this point, you probably might have already seen each other at your worst—think ratty shorts, snoring, or keeping the toilet seat up—so getting dressed up and breaking the monotony by going somewhere or doing something special every now and then helps fan the flames of attraction and intimacy. Try setting a day in a week where you take turns surprising one another and get creative!

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