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The was founded in 2003 on UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 campus and is open to anyone over the age of 18 in the Orlando community. Run by trained professionals, the institute 麻豆精品 S檚 services are supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, so its resources are offered free to the public.
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麻豆精品 S淥ur initial results are promising. We have shown to improve relationship satisfaction, their well-being and their levels of perceived stress, 麻豆精品 S� Barden says.
Barden shares insight from her research at the institute that you can start applying to your own life this Valentine 麻豆精品 S檚 Day.
Today 麻豆精品 S檚 world seems to be constantly in motion. What can couples do to stay connected to one another?
If you can set aside 10-20 minutes a day of protected time with one another, you can really strengthen your relationship. It 麻豆精品 S檚 similar to a garden. What makes flowers grow? They don 麻豆精品 S檛 need endless amounts of water and sunlight. They just need a little bit of love and care every single day. But you can 麻豆精品 S檛 ignore them for six months and hope they are going to live. Just a daily dose of some sunshine and water can make a garden really flourish, and relationships are really no different.
What are some daily actions that can help boost the health of your relationship?
Quality time is at the center of everything. It can be as simple as waking up 10 minutes earlier than you normally do so you can have a cup of coffee together instead of running out the door with it.
Physical touch is also very important, so embrace and hug. Sometimes we 麻豆精品 S檙e too busy and it 麻豆精品 S檚 just 麻豆精品 S淏ye, see you later! 麻豆精品 S� So, have a reunion when you come home at the end of the day. Take 10 seconds to share in an embrace. It 麻豆精品 S檚 amazing what that can do for mind and body physiologically.
Create date nights and prioritize having fun together. It doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 have to be extravagant. All a date night means is it 麻豆精品 S檚 protected time when you won 麻豆精品 S檛 be distracted by technology and life 麻豆精品 S檚 demands.
What contributes to a lasting relationship?
There are many aisles in bookstores written on this topic, right? Fundamentally, I think it becomes friendship. I think if you fall in love or stay committed to your best friend, your friendship can ride you through the tough times. Historically, we maybe thought if a person has a certain education level or if you came from similar family origins or if you have the same ideas of the number of children you wanted 麻豆精品 S� but those things are more tenuous. They don 麻豆精品 S檛 last over time. Allowing ourselves to be fluid and grow as friends are some of the key pieces of what keep people together.
What are some keys to resolving conflict?
The art of listening is becoming lost. Laptops and cell phones need to be off. Oftentimes, we 麻豆精品 S檙e just waiting for the other person to stop talking just so we can get our point across. When we fight fair, we take the opportunity to validate and listen. You can diffuse conflict quickly if you can just listen to what your partner has to say and validate his or her feelings. You don 麻豆精品 S檛 have to agree with it or like it, but it 麻豆精品 S檚 real for them, and they want to be understood.
One of the most critical questions that we sometimes don 麻豆精品 S檛 ask each other when we 麻豆精品 S檝e created conflict or hurt our partner, is 麻豆精品 S淗ow can I make this up to you? 麻豆精品 S� We do OK with 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 sorry, 麻豆精品 S� and asking for forgiveness, but we also need to ask, 麻豆精品 S淗ow do I make this better? What do you need from me right now? 麻豆精品 S� And that can be really enlightening.
What is one thing you should tell your partner every day?
It 麻豆精品 S檚 an open-ended sentence: 麻豆精品 S淚 appreciate you because 麻豆精品 S� . 麻豆精品 S�
Share one appreciation every day that 麻豆精品 S檚 something small and specific so your partner feels you notice them and acknowledge things they have done for you.
What would you recommend couples do this Valentine 麻豆精品 S檚 Day?
In an ideal world, every day we would celebrate our love. But what is Valentine 麻豆精品 S檚 Day really intended to do? It 麻豆精品 S檚 to carve out a little bit of time to celebrate your story and your love. Take that time to talk about previous memories that are joyful and happy. Really appreciate and admire one another for all you have been through and everything that person contributes to your life. Come up with one wish, hope or dream that you have for the future.
The UCF Marriage and Family Research Institute offers new workshops every month, and all services are provided in English and Spanish. They can be contacted at 407-823-1748 or through their website, .
