When you have been married for a long time, the moments you spend with your significant other often feel like a chore. Your daily activities and work have got in the way of your quality time. When you wake up in the morning, instead of taking the time to greet or kiss your spouse, you instantly get into the "busy mode", prepping everything for the day: cook breakfast, help the kids get to school, clean the house, or work.

Yes, you still communicate and send texts to each other. But is it done out of the need to feel your connection instead of necessity? Have you ever taken a step back from your life and spend time together just for the sake of it? Morning is the right time to do this.

In the morning, your heart beat and blood pressure is at its lowest. According to Patricia Johnson and Mark Michael, authors of the books Designer Relationship and Partners in Passion, it is easier to open up and feel the emotional connection with your spouse in the morning. Here are some morning rituals that only require a little effort to strengthen your marriage, as cited from Prevention.

1. Say goodbye every morning
A simple thing can lead to something big. Similar to how you say goodbye to your friends after spending time together, your spouse deserves the same treatment.

2. Wake up 10 minutes earlier
Set your alarm 10 minutes earlier than usual to have coffee together with your spouse. Ten minutes of sleeping time are indeed precious, but you’ll find yourself looking forward to it.

3. Give compliment
John Gottman, a professor in psychology, said that in marriage, you have to balance every negative comment with a positive one. Although it is something as simple as "Breakfast is delicious," or "You were great with our kids yesterday." A positive comment will go a long way, and the best time to say it is in the morning.

4. Let go of your frustration
While the old saying "Never go to bed angry with each other" is true, it is also important to say "Never leave the house in the morning angry with each other." Morning is the perfect time to talk to your spouse and resolve any existing issues, therefore you won’t leave the house with anger in your heart, ready to focus on your activity of the day.

5. Look into each other’s eyes
Looking into each other’s eyes is a simple yet powerful ritual in strengthening your marriage. As time goes by, statistics say that couples don’t really look into each other anymore. It is important to do this and recreate that sensation of falling in love for the first time.

6. Share jokes
Nothing ties couples together better than sharing jokes. Whether it is a good joke, or bad joke, just laugh over it together in the morning.

Text by Denistya Sagita
Stock photos from Reader's Digest

Source(s):

• http://www.prevention.com/sex/tips-to- strengthen-your- marriage
• https://www.thespruce.com/how-rituals- keep-marriage- strong-2303231