After you’ve said your marriage vows—"to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, in sickness and in health"—now what?
Now comes the exciting part: starting a new life together with the one you promised to be with forever.
Couples who have been married for a long time will tell you that a long and healthy marriage does not magically happen. It only becomes possible with hard work, patience, understanding, and of course, unconditional love. Remember that whatever you do today as husband and wife affects your future together—and if you do things right, you’ll surely reap the greatest and the most meaningful rewards.
Where do you start? Here are habits newly married should start now:
1. Establish open communication. The rules for open communication are basic. Be as good a listener as you are a talker. Let the other finish before you speak. Disagreements cannot be avoided, but if you must fight, fight right. Be solution-oriented, make sure you discuss and resolve issues right away, and always move forward.
2. Stay connected. Your busy schedules may get in the way, but you should always set aside time to do things together, be it a sport you both enjoy or a weekly dinner date at your favorite restaurant. Sometimes, even riding home from work together can be a great time to catch up on each other’s day. If you want to shake things up a bit, make it a point to do something different every month, like taking a cooking class or going hiking. These habits keep the romance alive and help you stay emotionally connected to your spouse.
3. Make decisions together. Remember you’re no longer single, but part of a married couple. Whether it’s about starting a family or planning your finances, you should always consider your spouse’s views before coming to a decision. Express your opinions as honestly as you can when discussing pros and cons, but be respectful and don’t shut down your spouse. Compromise when needed, and make sure you are both on board before taking any action.
4. Celebrate your successes! Now that you know how to deal with tough times, what do you do when there’s good news to celebrate? Share your excitement with each other about a job promotion or a fitness goal achieved. When you toast each other’s successes, you give your spouse a great ego boost, not to mention loads of encouragement!
5. Prepare for the future together. All these things lead to a great future for your marriage, but there is so much more you can do as you get ready for tomorrow. A good example is investing in Family Care Plus, a joint-life term insurance plan that provides protection coverage for life or critical illness for two persons under one plan.
Even if you’re just starting out in your careers, or still in the process of building your finances, Family Care Plus ensures that you don’t dip into your savings in case of unexpected medical emergencies. Remember: you pay for only one insurance plan that protects both you and your spouse.
What's more, Family Care Plus belongs to the suite of products under the BPI AIA Wellness Series powered by AIA Vitality, a science-backed wellness program that will encourage you to live healthier, longer, and better lives. AIA Vitality also gives you exciting rewards for making healthy lifestyle choices. Isn’t this an amazing, affordable way to prepare for the future together—today?
Take the first step in securing wellness and protection together by learning more about Family Care Plus. Visit any BPI branch near you and talk to a Bancassurance Sales Executive or click here to find out how you and your spouse can be ready for tomorrow!
