Expat couples living in other countries face various challenges that often put strain on their marriage. Just the fact alone that the couple has to be far away from home, their families and support system is already enough to cause distress. It gets more complicated as the couple has to adjust to the new environment and culture they are currently living in and to adapt to the new lifestyle.
For expats couples living in Singapore, these are just some of the hurdles that they need to face. The country is considered to be a popular expat destination. Based in the 2014 Statistics on Marriages and Divorces, it has a relatively lower divorce rate compare to other developed countries. There were about 7,307 divorces and annulments filed. 7 out of 1000 married males aged 20 years and older acquired and 6.5 females filed for divorced females in the same age range.
Every married couple has to face ups and downs in their marriage. Although there is no guarantee that expat couples will have a smooth-sailing relationship while they are far from home, there are ways to protect your marriage.
Trust and Respect Your Spouse
Trust and respect make any relationship’s foundation strong. When you trust your spouse, you do not harbor negative thoughts and you do not jump to speculations. Huge fights would often stem from small and petty fights because of issues like jealousy and mistrust. Respect your partner’s space and give your full trust especially if there is no reason not to.
Avoid temptation
One of the main problems that couples face is temptation. Whether it is a gorgeous new co-worker at home or a man in a bar, temptation is everywhere. This is where the importance of having strong self-discipline comes in. Some would easily fall into prey without even further realizing the consequences of their actions. Let’s face it when temptation knocks in, it is really difficult but you can always no.
Date your spouse
As couples enter into marriage, many of them have stopped dating. But in recent studies, researchers found out that what separates happy couples from others is the fact that they still go date their spouse even if they are married already. They go out on dates, watch movies, go to dinner and enjoy fun activities together. When you have kids, it takes a lot of work and energy but couples can definitely search for ways to show affection and to rekindle romance.
Have regular sex
According to relationship experts, good and regular sex is a sign of a healthy relationship. For couples, sex goes beyond just fulfilling the needs of your partner. It is one way to keep the fire burning and to be intimate with your partner. Many married couples suffer from sexless marriage which makes the problems that they are facing much worse. Maintaining an active and healthy sex life is definitely a must.
With all these being said, marriage will always take work and compromise from both parties. Amidst the temptation and the factors that can negatively affect your marriage, there are ways to reduce the risk of a failed marriage as you can always choose to understand, protect and love your partner in the best way that you can.
