Every marriage goes through ups and downs. However, the ‘downs’ can seemingly be prolonged if you don’t deal with the bad phases in a constructive way. This can lead to toxicity, negative emotions, and loneliness for both partners. If you feel like you’re going through something similar, you can always start working towards improving your relationship. Here’s how to improve a toxic relationship:

Recognize the toxicity

A lot of married couples spend years in an unhappy marriage without actually realizing that their relationship is toxic. When it comes to fixing a toxic relationship, the very first step is acknowledgment. For this, you must evaluate the behavior patterns of yourself and your partner. Also, think about the impact these behaviors have on your emotional and well-being. Some of the signs of a toxic marriage are:

• Feeling disrespected constantly
• Absence of boundaries
• Feeling anxious and depressed when your partner’s around
• Feeling a toll on your self esteem
• Being blamed all the time
• Not feeling secure in your relationship

Open Communication

Most of the time, smaller issues turn into bigger ones simply due to the lack of communication. Effective communication is the key to a healthy relationship. Have you tried talking about your concerns with your partner? If not, now might be the best time to do so. 

Remember, it is important to stay calm. Be attentive to your partner’s perspective as well and try to avoid blame and judgment. It should be you two against the issue, not you two against each other. So focus on understanding each other’s needs and feelings.

Seek Professional Help 

When it comes to fixing a toxic marriage, couple counseling might help. Couple therapy can help partners improve their communication skills so they can understand each other better. It also helps partners channel their negative emotions in a constructive way. 

One of the possible outcomes of couples therapy is that you stay together and work towards a happier relationship. Most counselors can offer valuable insights and strategies for dealing with the relationship in a healthy way. 

Set boundaries 

Setting clear boundaries is crucial for any and every relationship. Whether it’s your siblings or your marriage, you should be clear and vocal about your boundaries. Let your partner know what is acceptable and what is not. 

Most of the time, our partners don’t realize what they’re doing wrong until we communicate it to them. Having healthy boundaries helps protect your mental peace and emotional well-being. It also helps promote respect within the relationship.

Take Self-Care Seriously 

It can feel impossible to take care of yourself while dealing with a toxic marriage. But you must not let the negativity consume you. Taking care of your health should remain your top priority. Eat healthy and practice mindfulness techniques and spend time with your loved ones to reduce stress. 

Contacting a divorce attorney should be the last option on the list. But if you feel like your mental health is only getting worse and there are no signs of your relationship improving despite trying, then sadly, there may not be any more options left. At times, walking away from the relationship is the only solution.