7 Tips for Surviving the Seven-Year Itch

Communicate. Even though you've been married for seven years, neither of you can read minds. You can never know what your spouse really thinks, feels, wants, needs, etc. unless they tell you. If something is bothering you, talk to your partner. It will help you avoid many problems or solve them before things get out of hand.

Acknowledge your problems. Ignoring problems won't make them go away. Living in denial is likely to ruin your marriage. If you have (or you think you have) any problems, you need to address them and work as a team to solve them. There is nothing wrong in asking for help when you need it; visit a marriage counselor if you can't work things out.

Don't take your relationship for granted. So, you've settled into a routine, and it feels so comfortable. But do you really spend enough time with each other? Living in the same house, eating dinner and watching television together doesn't equal quality time. Don't forget to go on dates and do little, random acts of love that will remind both of you why you got married in the first place.

Pay attention to your spouse's feelings. When you are feeling unhappy, you might start blaming your spouse for it. Don't forget that it is a two-way street. Have you thought that they might be feeling unhappy, too? If you want to resolve your relationship issues, you need to respect each other's feelings.

Have a romantic getaway every now and then. If you're too busy to have a romantic vacation, you can at least go somewhere for the weekend. A romantic getaway will help you forget about your problems and reconnect. And leave your children at home because you need to find time just for the two of you. You can spend the next weekend with your kids.

Find a balance between spending time together and time alone. It's important to spend quality time together, but you also need time alone not to feel smothered. For some couples, time alone is more necessary than for the other couples. You will need to find your perfect balance, if you still haven't done it. (By the way, why haven't you? You've had seven years to figure this out!)

Get out of the sex rut. Seven years into marriage, many couples find themselves in a sex rut. They don't have sex anymore and even start finding excuses not to have sex. Spicing up your sex life might work, but first you need to make sure that the problem doesn't lie deeper. Sex is not just about passion and desire, it's about intimacy. If the idea of being intimate with your spouse makes you uncomfortable, you have some serious issues.