5 Ways to Show Love to Your Spouse This Week

As newlyweds, it may be easy to show affection to your spouse. Since it is new, love is easier to express to your spouse when you are newly married. This is because the relationship is still new, you are adjusting to each other’s way of life, and you don’t have the time that older relationships have had where betrayal and hurt pile up.

However, people in longer-term relationships may struggle to express love to their spouse. It may not be easy because one spouse feels they have run out of ideas to show their spouse that they love them, and they don’t have those warm fuzzy feelings they once had for their spouse. This may make it difficult for the spouse to engage in meaningful ideas to work on the marriage. Either way, it makes expressing love for the spouse even more difficult.

Both spouses build resentment and anger for the other when this occurs. However, when this goes on for an extended period, it is easy for spouses to hold those things in and bury those feelings rather than express them. Then, a minor offense occurs, and both parties explode in furious anger. And neither one of them knows why the other is upset.

A simple way to fix these resentments and help move forward in your marriage is to express love for each other. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, suggests five ways to express love to your spouse: giving gifts, stating positive affirmations, acts of service, quality time, and physical touch.

Your spouse typically falls into one of these categories when expressing love. If you need clarification about how your spouse perceives love, reflect on how they express love.

More than likely, the spouse gives love the way they want to receive love. For example, if you find your husband giving you flowers, he may be a gift giver and wish for gifts to be given to him in return. If your wife likes to touch you and write you love notes, then more than likely, she wants to hear uplifting, positive comments about herself from you.

How to Show Love to Your Spouse

Here are five ways to show love to your spouse this week:
Give Gifts
It may be challenging to give gifts to your spouse. However, gifts don’t have to be expensive to be meaningful. You can make something from scratch or do a thoughtful gift with photos or mementos from previous years. Make a scrapbook or a throw blanket with pictures from the past year. However, if finances allow, you may buy your spouse something they’ve always wanted but didn’t feel you could ever afford to have.

This will go a long way in moving your relationship forward. When people feel they’ve gotten what they’ve always wanted, that emotional void can be filled. Although this is only short-term, both spouses are more willing to work on it and do what they can to help the other feel loved. Find a gift like that, and it’s a grand gesture and the first step in moving forward in the relationship.

Some local places in Vancouver, WA to buy gifts for your spouse: 

New Seasons Market (2100 164th Street, Vancouver, WA 98683 )

This is a grocery store that also has a nice little gift section and flower shop. If you would like to make a special meal, pick up a last-minute grocery item, or bring home a bouquet. This market may be a good option for you to show your love.

Dennis’ 7 Dees Nursery (10006 SE Mill Plain Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98664)

With the garden season approaching this is a great place to pick up a thoughtful gift, or get those supplies that you need to complete that outdoor act of service for your loved one.

Main Street Battle Ground (607 E Main St, Battle Ground, WA 98604)

With Ace Hardware at one end of the strip and Battle Ground Produce at the other, Main Street Battle Ground has a plethora of unique shops and restaurants. This makes it a is a great place to speak your spouse’s love language. You can get those simple errands accomplished, take time to browse the shops, and have a nice lunch at Barrel Mountain Brewing.
Give Affirmations
Affirmations may be one of the cheapest yet most meaningful ways to show your spouse you love them. Take a journal and spend each day entering a small entry telling the spouse what you love about them. It can be something they’ve done for you, a character trait you find appealing, or something positive you think your spouse wants to hear. You may be surprised that even the smallest compliment may do wonders for your marriage.

If you are both hurting tremendously, returning to a better marriage may take more than a couple of love notes. However, making this a habit and doing it consistently shows your spouse that you care and want to work on the relationship.
Touch Them
Touching is also essential to marriage and can be simple to implement daily. Although some spouses whose love language is physical touch equate that with sex, a touch does not have to be sexual to be romantic. It could be as simple as a touch on the arm, a hug, or a shoulder rub at the end of a long day.

Be creative with your touch. Be purposeful and meaningful. Don’t allow touch to lead to sex unless both parties are willing to do so. The spouse will quickly feel used if the only reason why you touch them is to engage in sexual activity. Both spouses always want to feel as if they are cherished and admired simply for who they are, not for what they do.

For 30 days, try incorporating physical touch into your daily routine. Even if you only have a little time with each other, make sure touch is a part of your routine. Whether in bed and holding each other, cuddling during television, or hugging when they get home from work, be sure to incorporate the touch so that your spouse knows you love them without engaging sexually.
Spend Time with Them
Quality time may not mean carving out hours to spend with a loved one, but showing someone you care about them is essential. Take the time to spend time with them every month. Be intentional about creating date nights or other special moments together. Finances do not have to be an issue if you don’t want them to be.

Take the time to get dinner, watch a movie, or play a game. However, sometimes a memorable vacation or weekend away can be precisely what medicine a relationship needs. Book a unique getaway for just the two of you. Enjoy activities that your spouse wants to do. Do nothing during that time out of selfish ambition but rather to be with each other.

Engage in conversation as much as possible. Put down your phones or shut them off for the weekend so they know you have their attention. Ask him about his hopes and dreams. Don’t resort to the superficial conversation you have during the week; engage in a particular discussion reserved for that weekend away. Engage each other and remember why you fell in love in the first place.
Serve Them
Acts of service can take many forms. Sometimes, service may mean catering to their physical and emotional needs. This may mean making them dinner, getting them something they need without getting up, etc. However, service can also mean helping around the house or even making the home improvements your spouse has wanted for a long time.

Take the time and initiative to try to get things done. Watch YouTube videos and show your spouse that you are serious about working on things that need to get done. These acts of service that your spouse cannot do will go a long way in showing how much they mean to you.

You can do simple acts of service, such as bringing them breakfast in bed or making their favorite dinner. It can also be as complicated as redoing a room in the home or building an addition. Getting some of those desperately needed repairs done around the house is essential. When the spouse cannot do things independently, they may feel helpless.

When they ask their spouse to help them, and the spouse forgets or refuses to engage, it makes them think that what they need to do is unimportant. However, when you show them you care by making strides to ensure these things get done, even if it means calling a professional, it shows that you’re willing to move forward in the relationship and want to work on it to ensure it gets as good as possible.

Christian Marriage Counseling in Vancouver, WA

Using the above strategies can go a long way in your relationship. Discover your spouse’s love language and do your best to ensure they feel loved and appreciated all year. For more information on Christian marriage counseling in Vancouver or to make an appointment with a Christian counselor in Vancouver, Washington, call us today at Vancouver Christian Counseling in Washington.