Life is busy! In fact, I just had to be reminded to get some rest and remove my feelings of guilt and shame when I sit and do absolutely nothing. It feels as though people are always on the go. There are a million things to do and not nearly enough hours in the day to actually accomplish any of them.

With church, jobs, children, school, extracurriculars, family and a spouse, it’s no wonder someone has to remind us to get rest. While I genuinely needed that, as I’m so sure so many women do, there are some things that get neglected when we give our time and energy to everything else around us. One in particular, always easily overlooked, is our spouse. It’s not that we take them for granted, but it is easy to put them last on our list. We feel as though they understand. They already know how stressful our life is. They hear us complaining about our jobs or the people in our circle who drive us crazy. They know what we’re experiencing, so if we happen to get to them last, or even not at all they understand. Right?

Wrong. Yeah of course they know what’s happening in your world. That still doesn’t mean you get a pass on your spousal responsibilities. Because believe it or not you aren’t the only one who’s stressed. Sometimes our spouses have even more on their plates than us. The truth is we’re all busy. But for me, nothing helps to relieve the pressure I’m feeling than time and encouragement from my husband. He is able to build me up and make me forget what I was stressed about in the first place.

Life can overwhelm us, but when marriage is good, we can take on anything. This is why it’s so important to make sure that our marriage is taken care of and our spouse begins to feel like the priority they are.

With our crazy everyday there is one thing we might be forgetting to give our spouse. We could easily walk past them multiple times a day and fail to show them any type of affection. We’re so busy worried about the project we have to complete at work, or the time of the children’s dentist appointment we neglect to touch, kiss, speak a kind word, or simply show a genuine interest in our #1.

Affection is one of the smallest actions we can continuously do for our marriage, that has one of the biggest impacts on our partner. It’s also easy to do and a great way to remind our spouse we’re thinking of them. There are several ways we can show our affection. Asking our spouse how their day was and actually listening. A good morning, good bye, welcome home, see you later, or even an I’ll be right back kiss is another great way to show affection. Shoulder, back and foot massages are also a perfect way to demonstrate affection toward your spouse. Neck kiss, ear nibbles, booty rub or pat, and even a simple hug, while affectionate, also reminds your partner how much they turn you on. Lying your head on your spouse’s shoulder or in their lap and even holding their face within your hands as you say “I love you” all contribute to a healthy dose of affection.

Again, there are little things we could do everyday that don’t require too much of us but reminds our spouse they matter too. Life won’t ever stop being busy, but love conquers all, especially when we treat it right.

Question, how do you show your spouse affection every day?