Prioritize Your Marriage

In this episode, Amberly sits down with Monica Tanner, who is a marriage coach, podcast host, and author of the new book Bad Marriage Advice. Together, they unpack some of the most common phrases couples hear, like “never go to bed angry” or “happy couples never fight,” and explore why these well-meaning sayings can sometimes do more harm than good.Monica shares her inspiration for writing the book and how she reframes 15 popular pieces of marriage advice to be more realistic, research-backed, and truly helpful. Amberly and Monica also reflect on their own marriages, sharing honest stories, practical takeaways, and skills couples can use in every stage, from newlyweds to empty nesters.This episode offers a sneak peek into the insightful and relatable chapters of Monica’s book, and will leave you rethinking the relationship advice you’ve always accepted as truth.**Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/podcast/

In this week's episode, Amberly talks to Jessie of The Bold Intentional Life. They discuss setting goals for the long-term and working towards those big goals with the little things we do each day. Jessie shares how 1% needle-movers can make a big difference in your marriage and her theory on supporting your spouse's goals. Dive into this episode for inspiration when it comes to goal setting in life and your marriage.**Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/podcast/

Marriage isn’t just about building your life together, it’s also about growing as individuals alongside each other! Setting goals together to help you support the goals you are working towards as individuals is just as important as setting goals that will help you create the life you dreamed of together when you decided to get married. In this episode of the podcast, Amberly talks about supporting each other's individual goals and dreams in your marriage, what that could look like, and how to communicate about the support you might need for the goals you have set. You'll receive two challenges to put this episode into action in your marriage.**Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/podcast/

Setting goals in your marriage relationship isn’t just about how you can make your relationship with each other better. The goals that you set as a couple should also help you continue to create the life you want to live together and to be better partners in all areas of the life you share. In this episode, Amberly shares four different types of goals to set in your marriage and gives you some ideas of what those goals might look like to get your brainstorming started.**Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/podcast/

Setting goals as a couple will ensure you are on the same page. Shared goals give you something to work towards as a team. As you work together towards a shared goal, knowing that you're on the same page, you have the opportunity to grow together and make your marriage a priority. In this episode, Amberly shares more about the importance of goal setting in your marriage, how to set goals in your marriage, some ways to get your spouse on board, and more. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/podcast/

Consider this our end-of-year letter, like the ones you find in your mailbox with holiday cards. A look at the good and not-so-good of 2024 and what we're looking forward to in 2025. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/podcast/

Amberly shares "confessions" or things that might surprise you based on assumptions you may have about someone who is a "marriage expert" or in the marriage and relationship field for their career. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/podcast/

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday we focus on seeing and expressing gratitude in our lives. In this episode, Amberly highlights the importance of appreciating your spouse and expressing gratitude in your marriage relationship. She shares tips for how you can express gratitude and ideas for what you might find to appreciate in your relationship. You can use the ideas in this episode to create new habits surrounding gratitude and make it more of a priority in your marriage all year round. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/podcast/

Celebrating your spouse's birthday is celebrating that they were born. That they came into this world when they did. And that, because of that date, you have them in your life. It doesn't matter what you do for your spouse for their birthday. What matters is that they know you care. And that they feel loved and appreciated and important in this world. They deserve that every day of their life, but should feel it a little extra on their birthday. In this episode, Amberly shares some ideas to help you plan a fun birthday celebration for your spouse. One that shows them you care and that they're a priority to you. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/podcast/

Even if your spouse doesn’t struggle regularly with mental health, we all have moments or seasons in life when things get hard. Support your spouse with mental health obstacles and treat them with the care and importance that you’d hope they’d show you in return. In this episode, Amberly shares six tips you can use to support your spouse's mental health journey. These things will have a positive effect on them, you, and your marriage. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/podcast/

Today’s topic is close to my heart and so crucial for the health of any relationship—how prioritizing your personal mental health can strengthen your marriage. One of my favorite quotes about managing your own mental health comes from Dr. David Schnarch. He says, “The most loving thing we can do for our spouse is to learn to regulate our own anxiety.” I strongly believe that it is our responsibility to care for ourselves and do what we need to keep our mental health in good shape. And keep an open line of communication with those close to us as we do, especially our spouse/life partner, so they can support us, which I’ll discuss more in next week’s episode. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/podcast-episode-16-prioritizing-your-own-mental-health-for-your-marriage/

This episode is an introduction to a mini-series of episodes on mental health and your marriage. Amberly discusses the impact that the mental health of each spouse can have on the marriage relationship and prefaces upcoming episodes about improving individual mental health and supporting each other's mental health while maintaining boundaries that help maintain a healthy relationship dynamic. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/podcast/

In this episode, Amberly interviews Dr. Kara Shade, a relationship coach. They talk about what relationship coaching is and how it can benefit couples in various seasons of life. Kara shares experiences from her time working with couples as well as from her own personal life. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/marriage-coaching-interview-kara-shade/

In this episode, Amberly talks about considering your spouse in life, what that looks like, and how considering your spouse plays a role in making your marriage relationship a priority. This podcast episode was inspired by episode 312 of the Marriage Therapy Radio podcast. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/podcast-episode-13-make-considering-your-spouse-a-priority/

Routines become a part of your every day and help you stay grounded, no matter what you have going on. Routines can have the same impact on your marriage, keeping it grounded and stable regardless of the chaos or peace your lives are currently involved in. In this episode, Amberly shares routines you can set to make your marriage a priority each day and through every season of your lives together. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/podcast-season-2-episode-2-routines-to-help-prioritize-your-marriage/

Some stages (or seasons) of marriage and life can be counted on to happen, like the changing seasons of weather throughout the calendar year. A lot of the seasons we see in our lives are expected (i.e. becoming parents, retiring, kids leaving home). Although they are expected and follow the almost natural lifecycle, those seasons come on their own timeline and often come with unique challenges and mini-seasons that impact your family dynamic, and at the foundation, your marriage. Those seasons, stages, and circumstances impact the way you live your lives, as an individual, a couple, and a family unit. They require an adjustment of priorities, and shifting of routines. In this episode, Amberly shares a four-step process you can do as a couple, every time you shift into a new season of life, to help ensure that you continue to make time for your marriage, make each other a priority, and that your relationship flourishes and grows through that season of life, rather than being put on the back burner, or even starting to fall apart in some way. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/podcast-season-2-episode-1-prioritizing-your-marriage-amidst-the-changing-seasons-of-lifepodcast-season-2-episode-1-prioritizing-your-marriage-amidst-the-changing-seasons-of-life/

The holiday season is prime tradition time. In this episode of the Prioritize Your Marriage Podcast, Amberly is talking about traditions, specifically holiday ones, and more specifically ones that you share as a couple. She also shares how these connecting tips and rituals can be adjusted to work year round, in ways that aren't so seasonal. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/podcast-episode-10-holiday-traditions-for-your-marriage/

Deciding how to spend your time for the holidays, which family traditions to participate in, and making sure that you get quality time with each of your families while leaving room in the schedule for quiet nights at home and your own traditions can be a challenge. That challenge doesn’t end with the holidays though. It’s a year-round, lifelong situation that you will always have to think about. In this episode, Amberly shares five discussions you can have as a couple to set your priorities and boundaries each holiday season, and for time you spend with your families throughout the year. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/podcast-episode-9-dividing-time-with-your-families-for-the-holidays-and-year-round/

The holiday season can be busy with family activities and traditions, and other end-of-year things to be done. Don't put your marriage on the back burner, even for what you know would just be a few weeks. Make time to connect as a couple and start the new year off stronger than you are now. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/podcast-episode-8-prioritizing-your-marriage-during-the-holiday-season/

If your marriage has been on the back burner for too long, or you're great partners in life, but the romance piece has faded away. When going on a date together, talking about personal things, or being physically intimate feels overwhelming and uncomfortable, how to you rekindle that flame? **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/podcast-episode-7-how-to-start-prioritizing-your-marriage-again/

There are a lot of reasons couples give when talking about why they don’t have more time for their marriage. Work, school, kids, opposite schedules, the list goes on when it comes to obstacles that could get in the way of prioritizing a marriage. Regardless of the reason couples have for not making time to work on their relationship with each other, believe there is one underlying reason that is the same for everyone. Married couples aren’t able to make their marriage a priority because they keep finding reasons not to, instead of making a way to prioritize each other. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/podcast-episode-6-what-is-keeping-you-from-prioritizing-your-marriage/

How do you know if you are prioritizing your marriage? How do you determine if you're doing what you need to do to build an enjoyable, long-lasting marriage that's based on the romance and friendship you share and not just your ability to manage your lives together? Consider this episode the "structural blueprint" for your marriage. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/podcast-episode-5-what-does-a-prioritized-marriage-look-like/

Prioritizing your marriage includes the physical intimacy and connection you share, but there is a lot more to the word "intimacy" than the physical side of your relationship. It takes intentional effort every single day in all areas of your relationship to create a deep, intimate connection with your spouse. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/podcast-episode-4-increase-intimacy-in-your-marriage/

I love the quote that says, "A great marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." In that falling in love over and over, I always emphasize to couples that what worked to help them connect in one season of life, might not be feasible to serve them the same way throughout their entire marriage. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/podcast-episode-3-create-a-stronger-connection-in-your-marriage/

"Have more fun" in your marriage is one of the pillars of A Prioritized Marriage. Romantic relationships are most often built on your ability to have fun together. Creating fun in your marriage will build the friendship and personal relationship that you have with each other. **Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/podcast-episode-2-have-more-fun-in-your-marriage/

The Prioritize Your Marriage podcast is finally here! Having a podcast to share my expertise, knowledge, and wisdom as a family life educator has been a goal of mine for a few years now. I wanted to take this first episode to share with you how A Prioritized Marriage got started, why I do this, and how the Prioritize Your Marriage podcast plays into the mission and the goals that I have running A Prioritized Marriage. Show notes and a full transcript of the episode can be found at https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/podcast-episode-1-why-prioritize-your-marriage/

Each episode of the Prioritize Your Marriage podcast will take the goal of creating a strong and enjoyable marriage through date night, intimacy, fun, and connection and provide you with an actionable challenge that is easy to implement but will have a profound impact on your marriage! I hope you’ll join me each week to learn about your marriage and put in the work! I can share all of my best tips and the research behind them, as well as a million different ways that you could implement those tips in your own marriage. But unless you take what you learn and do something with it, even something small, your marriage will stay the same. In order to create and build a long-lasting and enjoyable marriage, you have to commit to yourself, and to your spouse, that you will make efforts every single day to make your relationship stronger. If you’re ready to make your marriage a priority and put in effort to strengthen the relationship you have with your spouse daily, I’m ready to help you! Hit subscribe and start listening! Take notes, set goals, make plans, and put what you learn into action. Then come back weekly for more! I’m excited to take this journey with you. Show notes and a full transcript of this episode can be found at: https://aprioritizedmarriage.com/blog/prioritize-your-marriage-podcast-trailer/