To be healthy, married couples must spend time with each other. But they need a group of couples that can positively influence the relationship.
Your marriage isn’t an island. You need to interact with other couples – to invest in their lives and for them to invest in yours. This is especially important because so many people live far away from members of their extended family and can’t benefit from their influence. If you don’t have family support, the influence of good friends is invaluable.
That’s why it’s so helpful to double date with other couples. There’s no hard-and-fast rule for how often but making one out of every four dates a double date is a pretty reasonable goal. If you date your spouse once a week, that’s one double date a month. If you and your spouse only go out once a month, you’ll still squeeze in three double dates a year. That may not sound like much, but don’t underestimate the impact these moments can make.
Relationships with other couples can help keep your marriage healthy, but they’ll be especially invaluable if your marriage hits a rough spot. Couples tend to isolate themselves during difficult times. Your marriage will be strengthened by your friendships.
