Here’s something you can do for your relationship today. It’s called The Daily Double 30-Day Challenge. Twice a day – for 30 consecutive days – say or do something that communicates to your partner that you love, value or appreciate them.
It can be as simple as:
- Telling them how attractive they look in an outfit
- Sending a loving or playful text message
- Picking up your clutter before going to bed
- Cooking a special meal
- Giving them time to go do something that is rejuvenating
- Washing their car or put gas in it
- Giving a foot or back massage
- Doing the dishes one night if that is not your regular job
- Giving a compliment to them in front of other people (this is very powerful)
- Being punctual one time if that is not your habit
Why do this practice? Your brain cannot be appreciative and simultaneously be angry, fearful or resentful. It’s like trying to breathe in and out at the same time – you can’t do it.
Other Ways to Be Positive:
- Listen to difficult comments and keep your cool.
- Recap what you are hearing in a conversation and help slow things down to a more manageable pace.
- Express compassion in a difficult situation.
- When you feel like you need to solve a problem, first ask your partner if they want advice.
- Use appropriate humor that your partner will appreciate.
- Ask several questions before butting in with your reactions to something that is hard to hear.
- Take several relaxing breaths instead of negatively commenting on your partner's annoying habit.
- Express appreciation and why you are appreciative. Send it in an email or a text.
- Take a time out instead of continuing a downward spiral argument.
- Apologize for your part in a bad situation or conversation.
- Go out of your way to do something nice for your partner.
- Channel kind and loving thoughts about your partner today.
- When you have a negative thought about your partner, shift to thinking about what you appreciate.
- Say both “please” and “thank you” today.
- Make better eye contact.
- Keep your voice tone positive during a difficult discussion.
- Tell your partner how you would like them to respond to you before talking about a difficult topic. For example, “I just want you to listen with concern. No advice needed, just support.”
- Look for something positive in your partner today and then express it.
- Ask questions about your partner’s perspectives and reality.
- Take the initiative to do something you know your partner would value (that you don't usually take the initiative to do).
- Think about how you aspire to be before having a difficult discussion, for example, to be curious about your partner’s perspective, be patient, be calm, be assertive, be concise, be considerate, be understanding, etc. (Focusing on how you aspire to be is an exceptionally good way to immediately have better discussions.)
- Today, practice being:
- Affectionate
- Kind
- Generous
- Supportive
- Caring
- Curious and asking good questions vs telling or preaching
- Understanding vs pushing my perspective
- Thoughtful and considerate
- Grateful for things you usually take for granted
If you do something positive today that’s not on the list, write it down and count it – and congratulate yourself.
And don't forget to download your 30-Day Challenge calendar here. You can check off days as you progress and even record the things you do.
What positive actions are working for you? Do you have ideas in addition to the ones above? Add your experience to the comments below.
I’ve found that texting has been a great way for my husband and me to stay connected and appreciate each other. Texting can include fun pictures or links that show how we’re thinking of the other or our daughter. Also it doesn’t demand an immediate response and it creates a fun record to look back on. It can also reduce tension when face to face words/feelings can’t.
Because of the Daily Double, I started focusing on acknowledging things that my husband does regularly for me and my daughters. This recognition really has fostered more appreciation and admiration for him. I was taking for granted all that he does in a day to help our family work well. Now that I am recognizing these things verbally to him, I am noticing them more and more.
This exercise really is as profound as Pete & Ellyn claim it to be. I found my overall perspective of my husband brightening up, as I began to focus on what I could do for him, rather than focusing on what he’s not doing for me. I’m the kind of person who is quick to see what’s wrong, rather than what is going well. This practice, over time, made it possible for me to have a lasting change in terms of how much I appreciate Bob and all that he does and all that he is. I find myself spontaneously expressing my appreciation for him now, doing little things for him that I wouldn’t have before and generally just loving him more. I recommend this to all couples who have the courage to change.
Just reading through the guidelines for the Daily Double helped me to realize how many acts of kindness my husband already does. David travels for work and I had been letting myself off the hook, not putting much effort into maintaining our connection on the evenings he’s away – and the scary thing is I could put forward a good case for how busy I am to justify my distancing. At times it takes a real effort for me to step off the treadmill and get curious about how his day has been but the payoff is the sense of fulfillment I get from living in line with my values.
I found it helpful to ask him what his love language is and do things that speak out of that love language. He appreacites it and sees it more clearly as the love he is looking for and it gets me in the habit of speaking in his love language, rather than the ones that come naturally to me
I have to tell you that I have retired from My Counseling practice. I am 😯 years old and I don’t think anyone wants to have an 80 years old therapist. I was a high school counselor I taught for 7 years and then became a high school counselor for 23 years. I joined a private practice at that time and used all of your input to help me adapt to the new form of counseling. I can’t tell you how much I learned from the two of you the last 25 years You helped me immensely adjust to individual counseling. I thought the info you provide is absolutely wonderful and filled with good ideas of working with couples and families. I appreciate everything you did for me but but I am totally retired now so you can remove me from your list. My only regret is I never met you in person. You both are outstanding instructors so keep up the good work. Am sure your impact is felt world wide. Fondly, Pat Fishburne