[Mr. and Mrs. Monday] Habits

Before Mark and I got married, we read a couple of books on marriage. One of them--The Most Important Year in a Woman's Life/The Most Important Year in a Man's Life (it's a dual cover, flip over kind of book)--proved to be really helpful. One of the things we read was that the first year of marriage is crucial to establishing good habits. But unlike bad habits, which seem to creep up on you before you know it, good habits require being 100% present and intentional. Otherwise, we risk getting complacent with the bad habits until they become such a problem later down the road, they break up marriages.

Mark talked about one good habit in the last marriage post: talking over dinner rather than watching TV. Another good habit that I appreciate is one I actually came up with: no electronics in the bedroom/bed. I think we're all guilty of being right next to a friend or a significant other, but because we're on our phones, iPads, or whatever, not a single word is said. It's sad, really, when I go to a restaurant and there's a table next to be with a group of people, but they're not conversing because they're too busy checking Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

[This is not our bed, but it looks cozy.]

Anyway, I mention that I came up with the rule because I'm the only one that fails at it. Mark is so good at keeping electronics out of the bed. But because my cell phone is my alarm, which is on my nightstand right next to my head, I often reach over without thinking. And then, I get a little "ahem" as a gentle reminder of my rule.

But besides these little hiccups, banning phones & laptops & iPads from the bed allow us to have better conversations. And not staring at a screen helps us fall asleep quicker and have a more restful night of sleep. And it keeps us present as opposed to living vicariously through other people's lives. The list goes on.

I'm just grateful that I learned how important good habits are before I got married, and that I have a husband who is more than willing to participate in this intentional, good habit-filled kind of living.

xoxo
Elysabeth