Bad Habits That Can Hurt Your Marriage (And How to Stop Them)

Bad habits are something everyone must deal with at some point or another, but some bad habits can actually hurt your marriage, and it’s these types of marriage-harming bad habits that you need to control and stop as soon as possible. If you want to know more about the most common bad habits that can hurt your marriage and how to stop them, consider the following bad habits to tackle ASAP.

The Obvious Vices

There are quite a few bad habits out there that are destructive not only to yourself, but those around you.  We'll start with some of the more damaging habits to your marriage.  If you have these vices, learn to overcome them.  Get help if needed.  You can do it!

• Substance abuse
• Anger issues
• Pornography addiction
• Gambling addiction
• Extreme laziness

The list can go on and on for character traits such as these which have obvious negative imapacts to ourselves and our loved ones.  But not all bad habits are so obvious.

Being addicted to electronics

Electronics addiction is no joke - and it’s a bad habit which is more common than ever in today’s electronics-heavy world. Whether you’re addicted to your phone, video games, computer, television or anything else that keeps you too focused on your shiny little device rather than on say, your spouse or your household or even your children, it’s definitely a habit you need to break.

Breaking this habit will take some serious willpower, especially if you have been addicted to your phone or games for a long time. One of the keys to breaking this habit is setting “no electronics” zones or time periods. For instance, making you and your spouse’s bedroom an “electronics free zone” so you don’t end up staring at your smart phone while your spouse wants to cuddle.

Not communicating effectively

Poor communication is a bad habit that many people pick up and never address until it’s actively harming their marriage, so the sooner you can address this habit, the better. Effective communication is about being able to openly and honestly express your needs, wants, plans and goals with your spouse. Communication can be related to something lofty - like expressing to your spouse that you want to switch jobs - or even small things in life, such as letting your spouse know that you’re going out with friends on a Friday night.

To break this habit, simply start talking with your spouse! Let them know how you’re feeling or what you will be doing. The more you communicate, the better you will get at it over time.

Unloading your bad day on your spouse

If you’re like most people, then you no doubt have bad days at work or home. Maybe something goes wrong or you end up being chewed out by a supervisor, you have to deal with nasty traffic, or your kids just won't stop fighting. When the two of you finally get to meet up again your bad day spills over into your attitude towards your spouse. This is all too common, but it can hurt your marriage, especially if your spouse gets tired of constantly being on the other end of your bad day.  It's healthy to vent and let off a little steam when things don't necessarily go great, but don't overdo it and don't just dump everything onto your husband or wife.  Make it a point to talk about the good parts of your day too.

To break this habit, instead find another outlet for your stress after a bad day. Write it down in a journal or go work out until your frustration has abated - anything other than unloading on your spouse just because you had a lousy day.

Bad habits can seriously impact your marriage, but addressing them as soon as possible is your best option for avoiding the pitfalls of bad habits.