The 5 key areas of conflict in relationships: Sex

Written By shane smith

It is easy to get caught up in the demands of life to find we are living our lives narrowly focusing on work or home, and we forget or neglect ourselves and our marriage. Don't allow the daily grind to become the focus to the exclusion of your marriage.

Finances, Work (in and out of the house), Sex, In Laws and Children are the five big areas that dominate conflict in most relationships. Ensuring timely and open communication and pragmatic approaches to discussing issues that arise will ensure our relationship is sustained for the long-term.

The most important thing you can start doing is looking after yourself by focusing on these five areas. You don't have to get it right the first time. This is part of life's journey of learning and developing. You will get there if you are willing to invest the time and effort. Be proactive and do this for your relationship today.

This series of blog posts explores each of the five big areas for conflict in relationships, emphasising that by taking intentional steps to discuss and resolve these issues, they will have a lasting effect.

3. Sex: Our relationship with our life partner is one of the most important and exciting relationships we will have and whilst it is one of constant change, learning and improvement, it is easy to get caught up in the demands of life to find we are living our lives narrowly focusing on everything other than our partner.

Whilst the quality of our sexual relationship often reflects the quality of our overall relationship, neglecting or forgetting our relationship - and the needs of our partner for affection and intimacy - can have dire and expected consequences. If neglected there is a greater risk of an affair both for the one feeling neglected and the partner neglecting the other and none of us are exempt from the risk of an affair.

Affair proof your marriage and establishing boundaries is vital: for example, don’t get into a situation where your relationship could be at risk. Your relationship with your partner is important and exclusive. Protect each other by:

  • Build each other up

  • Fill emotional needs

  • Set boundaries – avoid meetings, dinners etc with people of opposite sex

  • Keep sex alive – to love is to give

  • Be careful with emails

  • Pornography – to be avoided.

Always keep your sexual relationship interesting. Remember anything we constantly repeat will lose impact. Try to vary place and be creative, vary who initiates it.

Through continued commitment and loyalty we can tackle the ups and downs of our marriage together. Don't allow the daily grind to become the focus to the exclusion of your relationship. The most important thing you can start doing is to focus on your partner and your sexual relationship. Affair proof your relationship and establish boundaries and be creative. You will get there if you are willing to invest the time and effort. Be proactive and do this for your relationship today.

Through continued commitment and loyalty we can tackle the ups and downs of our marriage together.

Tune in next week for more tips and ideas related to the 5 key areas of conflict in relationships.

Marriage and Relationship Education is a learning opportunity, much like you would do in any other important life event. Check out the video for couples on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xyuUl-JnIhM.

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Written by Shane Smith
shane smith
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The 5 key areas of conflict in relationships: In laws
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The 5 key areas of conflict in relationships: Work (in and out of the house)