"Seven Ways You Bring Out the Best in your Spouse" by Prepare-Enrich

Relationship Dynamics

7 Ways You Bring Out the Best in Your Spouse

October 22, 20254 Comments

Do you bring out the best in your spouse? It might be hard to know exactly. You often hear happy couples say they bring out the best in each other, but what does it really mean? Does it happen organically, or is it something you can work on? While there is no perfect formula, spouses that bring out the best in each other typically do these 7 things:

1. You feel good about yourselves.

Maybe you’ve grown more confident since meeting your partner. Or perhaps you’ve maintained a healthy confidence over your time together. Either way, having healthy levels of self-confidence shows that you’re both in a good enough place mentally. That enables you to consistently build each other up. When you’re constantly critical, even in seemingly minor ways, those little comments can eat away at your spouse’s confidence. When you both feel good about yourselves, it’s a testament to how you treat each other.

2. You embrace who your spouse truly is.

If you can both let down your guards and be your complete selves – flaws, quirks, and all – it means you feel at ease, accepted, and comfortable with each other. Feeling like you have to hide parts of yourself or tweak who you are with your spouse is exhausting and unsustainable. When you feel loved for who you really are you’re in the most optimal position to be your best.

3. You encourage each other to grow.

Maybe you offer one another new perspectives or teach each other actual skills or information. Perhaps you respectfully challenge each other’s opinions or push each other out of your comfort zones. Whatever form it takes, fostering and supporting growth – individually and as a couple – is a great sign you’re doing something right.

4. You don’t avoid the tough issues.

The self-confidence mentioned in #1 goes hand-in hand with assertiveness. This skill is a game-changer when it comes to addressing issues and working through conflicts in a productive way. If you’re not afraid to bring things up for fear of a big blowout fight or reaction from your spouse, it means you’ve created a dynamic that welcomes discussion and allows you to ask for what you want and need in the relationship.

5. You have fun together.

It’s pretty straightforward, but if you’re constantly laughing and generally having fun together, it’s a good reflection of the overall vibe of your relationship. If you’re feeling unhappy or criticized, that authentic sense of joy is going to be difficult to fake. This doesn’t mean you’re happy 100% of the time, but the low spots are more the exception than the norm.

6. You help your spouse work through personal issues.

You can’t do the work for them, but you can do the next best thing: provide them with the support, encouragement, and understanding they need to process, work through, and heal from personal issues and traumas. You’re also able to give them a helpful perspective and advice if they ask for it.

7. You balance each other out.

Whether you have similar or strikingly different personalities, all personality traits have positive and negative aspects. When you’re feeling mentally and emotionally balanced, you’re more likely to exhibit the positive sides of your personality traits. When you’re stressed or struggling, it’s common to see the less desirable sides. If you’re both in the sweet spot most of the time, or can help each other get back to it when one of you is feeling out of balance, this is a great sign.

We all hope that we bring the best out of our spouse, but unfortunately, it’s not a straightforward task you can simply add to your to-do list. Instead, it’s the result of several factors within your marriage and yourself creating healthy dynamics – and leveraging those dynamics in positive ways. Hopefully you can use these 7 things as guideposts that indicate you’re bringing out the best in each other.