Everyone has bad habits. But when they pervade your marriage, they can chip away at what was once a solid foundation. Perhaps your bad habits aren't divorce material – yet – but it's time to nip them in the bud before they become a real problem. Here are five to start with. A sexless marriage is considered to be the case when a couple has sex no more than 10 times a year, and up to 20 percent of marriages are sexless. While sex isn't a solution to your problems, necessarily, it does foster intimacy. So shake off those "too tired" or "too busy" excuses. It just takes a few minutes and does your relationship good. Adopt a "MY family first" attitude in your marriage. Frequently, in-laws may intervene in your relationship, which is OK if you present a united front. But if you find yourself spilling your guts about your marriage or spending more time with relatives, then you need to bring it back home. It's no fun to feel like second fiddle when you're the spouse. It's OK to be close with extended family, but when they take precedence over your spouse, there's a problem.
Hiding your finances could spell doom for the marriage as well. Most couples fight more about money than anything else, and when you hide purchases – particularly major ones – from your spouse, you hurt the trust you've built and can harm your credit. The nagging wife is a cliche – but when either partner is hypercritical of the other one, it can wear on the criticized spouse's wellbeing, and ultimately, the relationship as a whole. If you're the nagger, then consider your motivation. Perhaps you think you're being helpful or legitimately pointing out flaws that truly do exist. If they're problems you can't live with, then that's another story entirely. But if you're sweating the small stuff and doing it frequently, then he or she is more likely to tune you out. Stick with the legitimate problems when you criticize or feel like nagging. Finally, examine your fighting style – a bad habit to fall into is either ignoring legitimate problems completely or having knock-down, drag-out fights about absolutely everything. Having a difference of opinion is inevitable, but instead of fighting one another, fight to solve the problem at hand. Leave the past in the past, and avoid personal attacks.
