SALT LAKE CITY — This week marks National Marriage Week, strategically timed as couples approach Valentine's Day, and the Utah Marriage Commission is highlighting ways to maintain connection in relationships despite increasingly busy lives.
Relationship educator Carlie Palmer-Webb says work, parenting, and daily stress often crowd out meaningful connections between partners, but small changes can make a significant impact.
"If the only thing that you did was try to speak more kindly to them for a week or try to express more gratitude for a week or find one little tiny thing that you could do to express your love each day, it would make a significant difference," Palmer-Webb said. "We don't have to have all of the time in the world."
Palmer-Webb says a common myth among busy couples is believing they should instinctively know what their partner wants, thinks or needs to be happy.
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"So for example, with Valentine's Day coming up, you will be so much happier with the outcome of Valentine's Day if right now you express to your spouse, this is really meaningful for me. I would really like to do this for Valentine's Day, or I would really appreciate this act of love on Valentine's Day," Palmer-Webb said. "And then if your partner does it, it matters. It doesn't matter less because you expressed it to them."
She recommends dedicating just five minutes at the end of each day to talk and listen, which can make a substantial difference in relationship quality. Palmer-Webb also emphasizes the importance of physical affection as a way to maintain connection.
During particularly busy periods, she suggests scheduling relationship activities to demonstrate that your partner remains a priority in your life.
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