You can love your spouse and still feel overwhelmed by the unspoken responsibilities constantly running through your mind. The mental load is the invisible to-do list in your head—and when roles and responsibilities feel imbalanced, it can quietly erode connection, create resentment, and impact intimacy. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Morgan Cutlip— author of the upcoming book A Better Share: How Couples Can Tackle the Mental Load—for one of the most important conversations couples need to have. Together we explore: • How to bring up the mental load in a way that unites you, not divides you • A simple but powerful question your spouse can ask instead of getting defensive • What unspoken resentment actually sounds like in day-to-day marriage • The surprising link between mental overload and decreased intimacy • And how to reset your roles and reconnect as a team Whether you’re the one carrying the weight or you’re not even sure what the “mental load” really is—this episode will open your eyes and strengthen your marriage. 📚And make sure you order her amazing book right here!  Here’s Dr Morgan’s IG, too!

This is the logical followup from last week’s episode about emotional intimacy differences, which is about maintaining physical intimacy with your partner the longer you are together. It might seem obvious to say that men and women are different in this area yet in this episode you will hear a breakdown of some of the modern challenges that lead to a decline in physical intimacy for men and women. Many of these things are the predictable, daily life tasks and stressors that all couples will have.  The main takeaways from listening to this episode will be 6 different things you can take action on now to increase and maintain your satisfaction in your physical intimacy. These are not going to be the mechanics of intimacy however, but the things every couple needs to do and communicate about to be on the same page and better understand what intimacy means to each partner for the season you are currently in as a couple.   Relationship Resources: 1) The LIMITED EDITION Best of Us 30-Day Couples Challenge, is starting again April 1st, 2025. Over 4000 couples completed this challenge to start this year, many of which felt a real shift even after the first 5 days. We got so many requests for the challenge again, that we are bringing it back for April. But won't be available for another 5-6 months. So do not miss this opportunity to bring back that SPARK 💥 2) After this challenge window closes, take a look at the next available challenges of Prioritize Us or Rebuilding Us. ❣️  

Emotional intimacy is a key part of your having high satisfaction in your marriage. The challenge becomes maintaining this the longer you are together with your partner. There are a number of reasons for this that you will hear in this episode, one of the obvious ones being that each partner feels connection in different ways.  In this episode you will hear a breakdown of the differences in emotional intimacy for men and women. You will hear 3 different ways that both men and women feel emotionally close so that you can begin to bring more emotional intimacy into your relationship that meet your current needs and preferences. Over time even your partner begins to seem like “just another part of your day” which reduces the potential for connection. You also might think you know what makes your partner feel emotionally close… but you will be surprised to find that idea outdated for what they need in this current season.   Relationship Resources:  1) The LIMITED EDITION Best of Us 30-Day Couples Challenge, is starting again April 1st, 2025. Over 4000 couples completed this challenge to start this year, many of which felt a real shift even after the first 5 days. We got so many requests for the challenge again, that we are bringing it back for April. But won't be available for another 5-6 months. So do not miss this opportunity to bring back that SPARK 💥 2) After this challenge window closes, take a look at the next available challenges of Prioritize Us or Rebuilding Us. ❣️

Things are going to happen in your life and marriage. When they do, are you on the same team or find that you turn against each other? This is one of the most important ideas when it comes to having a successful marriage. As hard as we try we just can’t avoid conflict or even external situations happening in our lives that we do not like. But the differnece for successful marriages is that they stay on the same team and do not let these stressors amplify an already difficult situation.  In this episode today you will hear 5 principles for staying on the same team when both small and big things happen in your life together. Remember that whatever situation you find yourselves in is temporary but how you handle it can have a lasting effect on your marriage. When you handle them together you build trust, confidence and your bond; when turn against each other, you make it worse, lose trust, and build resentment.   Relationship Resources ⏬ As mentioned in the episode, get the Family Meeting Guide to help you navigate challenging moments and seasons with the weekly, quarterly, and yearly check-ins to stay on the same team no matter the challenge 👉 https://thecouplesexperience.com/family Alternatively, you can get the Family Meeting Guide for free as a bonus for starting the Prioritize Us 30-Day Couples Challenge starting in 2 weeks at 👉 https://mycoupleschallenge.com/    

Everyone should have the appropriate expectation that things in life won’t always be easy or go your way. This is the same in marriage. Having harder seasons of marriage is a part of the journey a couple needs to accept. Now these harder seasons can come from two places: external circumstances and from poor interactions of your own making!  In this episode you will hear about the 3 changes that need to be made to better handle these hard seasons. The situation will be different based on whether it is an external circumstance out of your control or whether it is from a series of poor patterns that have formed between you. In both cases, making these 3 changes will allow you to handle the season with more togetherness and come out of it stronger.   Relationship Resources: ➡️ Level 1: “Prioritizing Us” is focused on strengthening your connection, communication, and fun “Love Deposit” ideas. LINKED HERE ➡️ Level 2: “Rebuilding Us” is focused on repairing and rebuilding after a harder season of marriage. LINKED HERE 🥇 Also if you have not watched the Couple Things interview with Shawn Johnson & Andrew East, make sure tune into this great interview about Navigating Happy and Hard Seasons of Marriage on YouTube. 

Set aside all the things you DO in your marriage and answer this question. Is your heart more open or closed to your partner? It is easy to get stuck in all of the tasks and responsibilities within a marriage and even think that getting these done is the main goal. But what is your experience like most of the time? You can get all your tasks done, but have a heart that is closed off to your partner and you experience disconnection, distance, unappreciation, or even resentment.  The true goal in a marriage is to have an open heart because this is when you experience love, connection, joy, understanding, happiness, and fulfillment. In this episode you will explore this idea of living more with an open heart and get 5 steps to take to keep from closing your heart off to your partner. In the end, we are here to “adult” and get done what we need to, but it will really only add to your marriage satisfaction if you complete these tasks while staying open to each other.    Relationship Resources: Join the 30 Day Couples Challenge that is the best fit for keeping your heart open: ➡️ Level 1: “Prioritizing Us” is focused on strengthening your connection, communication, and fun “Love Deposit” ideas. LINKED HERE ➡️ Level 2: “Rebuilding Us” is focused on repairing and rebuilding after a harder season of marriage. LINKED HERE 🌟 For all the other resources, including the guides and webclasses: https://www.meetthefreemans.com/links

Learn how to tackle defensiveness in relationship talks with practical tips that improve communication. Discover strategies for addressing unmet needs and broken agreements, ensuring that both partners feel heard. Explore the importance of accountability and mutual responsibility in fostering trust. Gain insights on taking effective timeouts during conflicts to promote emotional safety. With a focus on collaboration, these discussions inspire listeners to cultivate a team mindset for healthier partnerships.

Misunderstandings can spiral into conflicts when conversations go off-track. Recognizing whether a discussion is emotional or logical is crucial for healthy communication. Emotions often take precedence over logic, especially during tense moments. Understanding this dynamic can lead to deeper connections. The episode offers insights on identifying when to engage emotionally versus when to focus on logical details, enhancing relationship effectiveness.

Delve into the world of emotional intelligence and its pivotal role in relationship communication. Discover five essential skills that enhance emotional awareness and foster deeper connections. Learn how empathy, self-awareness, and emotional regulation can turn small disruptions into opportunities for growth. The hosts provide practical steps to strengthen these skills sequentially, ensuring a more fulfilling partnership. Plus, get insights into an upcoming web class aimed at refining these vital communicative abilities.

As fellow parents, we share in that deep responsibility you feel to equip your kids with healthy relationship skills—and conflict is a huge part of that! How you and your partner handle disagreements doesn’t just impact your marriage; it actively shapes how your kids will navigate conflict in their own future relationships. In this episode, we’ll break down four key aspects of conflict that your kids need to witness—and how small shifts can make a lasting impact. ➡️ As you listen, make sure you register for our Live + Free Marriage WebClass coming up in February. We only host this ONCE a year, so don’t miss it 🌟   For video content follow on IG: @meet_the freemans