Make a Good Marriage Better With These Simple Daily Habits

Last Updated on March 13, 2025 by Stacy Averette

A happy marriage doesn’t just happen. Even a good marriage requires nurturing. A checklist of simple daily habits can serve as a reminder to connect meaningfully.

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Marriage is Hard Work

We were young and in love. After a sweet, small church wedding surrounded by our family and closest friends, I thought, “Let the fairytale begin!” Little did I know that getting married was the easy part. Staying married was another story. Even harder than staying married is staying happily married.

I’m sure plenty of wiser and well-meaning folks tried to tell me, but I probably thought my marriage would be different and easy. But marriage is hard work. Just a few months into our wedded bliss, some of my new husband’s habits that I once thought were cute now made me want to scream. “Who is this person, and why is he acting this way?”

Happily Ever After

Committed to the traditional vows we made to one another, we were determined to have a happy marriage and enjoy our life together. We did our best with what we knew and kept growing together.

Over the years, mistakes were made, feelings were hurt, harsh words were spoken, and happily ever after seemed like an impossible dream. Thankfully, neither of us was ever willing to give up at the same time on the same day.

Some days, I felt like I worked harder at being happily married than he did, but I’m sure he could say the same. The good news is that we made it. Our happily ever after story was written one day, one apology, one choice at a time.

This book and this one have helped us immensely, and we often recommend them to other couples.

Good, Better, Best

We recently celebrated our thirty-eighth wedding anniversary. Looking back, I can see all the good and the “even better” times. Our hard work and commitment paid off, but we’re not satisfied yet.

Our goal in the next season is to build the best marriage possible. I’m unsure what that requires, but we’ll figure it out together. We’re together, together.

For now, we’ll keep practicing the simple daily habits that helped us make a good marriage better.

Seven Habits to Make a Good Marriage Better

1. Communicate face-to-face

I was in a cafe last week and noticed a couple older than me sitting at a nearby table. They ate their food and drank their beverages without ever looking at or speaking to one another. When finished, they walked to their car in silence and drove away. I don’t know them or anything about their life, but I do know that that’s not how I want to be at their age.

We make it a point to sit where we can look at one another face-to-face and share our thoughts and feelings. In a world with a million distractions, giving a person you care about your undivided attention is priceless.

2. Laugh together

“I love to hear you laugh,” he tells me. “What’s so funny?” Discovering what makes someone laugh tells you a lot about that person. It’s a little window into their soul.

We’ve cultivated the habit of laughing together. He told me something funny he saw while driving home from work, and I shared a story about one of the grandkids. We watch an old sitcom from the nineties and occasionally exchange funny memes.

3. Speak a sincere “thank you”

Everyone likes feeling appreciated. Saying “thank you” to your spouse for a simple ordinary task lets them know you see their effort and contribution to the family.

Practice saying “Thank you” for all the little things your spouse does:

• Thank you for washing my car.
• Thank you for noticing my outfit.
• Thank you for making the bed.
• Thank you for checking on me throughout the day.

4. Say “I love you.”

Often, I’ll find sticky notes with “I love you” on a blank page in my journal, on my desk at the office, or my favorite chair. Even after all these years, I still smile at the thoughtful gesture. The words “I love you” never get old.

Let “I love you” be the first thing you say every morning and the last at night. Whisper “I love you” randomly throughout the day. Text an “I love you” with your favorite emoji.

5. Learn something new

Pizza is my husband’s favorite food. I didn’t know that until a few years ago. Pizza was not a family favorite at my house growing up, so I never imagined it might be his. I was relieved to know that when I was a tired mama trying to feed a hungry crowd, “pizza night” was anything but a disappointment to him.

Even after all these years together, we still learn something new about each other. Sometimes, during our face-to-face communication or long car rides, we’ll play a game where we ask each other random questions. Here are a few examples.

• What is your favorite _____________________?
• Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world right now?
• What was your favorite subject in school?
• What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?

6. Pray together

I can’t imagine anything more sacred than “letting our requests be made known to God” together. I love to hear my husband pray. Of course, he talks to God differently than I do, but I love hearing him pray. Many times in our life together, I’ve asked him to pray for me when I was sick, hurting, or too overwhelmed by life to pray for myself.

Your spouse may not be comfortable praying out loud. That’s okay. Please don’t force it. You can pray together silently, or one of you can pray aloud. Praying together can happen in many different ways.

7. Give a compliment

In the early days of a relationship, we overflow with compliments. Why do we stop?

You and I never tire of hearing a sincere compliment, and our spouses are no different. Look for opportunities to give a compliment and watch their face. I always want to be sure no one notices or compliments my spouse more than me!

Good marriages can be improved with little effort. Practice these seven simple daily habits to build a happy marriage today.