Friends and family are an important part of life. They rally around you during the tough times and celebrate with you during moments of triumph.

However, close friendships can sometimes be a hindrance to your marriage. It’s easy to find yourself spending more quality time with them that you spend with your spouse. It’s also very tempting to turn to them whenever you are having problems with your partner.

As a wife or husband, you need to make a conscious effort to always put your spouse before your friends. Here are some tips to help you do that.

Schedule time with your spouse

Schedule quality time with your spouse the same way you schedule time with your friends. Keep in mind that just because you see your wife or husband every day doesn’t mean you’re spending quality time with them.

It’s also important to make spending quality time with your husband or wife a regular thing. You can start by scheduling regular date nights.

Don’t speak negatively about your spouse to your friends

How you speak about your spouse dictates what your friends and family think about him. If you vent to your friends about your spouse or tell a story that portrays him or her negatively, your friends will treat him as such.

Even when you’re frustrated with your spouse, it’s important to keep in mind that your friends are not in love with him or her like you are.  There’s nothing stopping them from assuming that the whatever you’re venting about is an every day occurrence and not an isolated incident. Your spouse’s trust and confidentiality  is more important than your need to vent to your friends.

Be prepared to lose some friends

When you get married, your spouse becomes your best friend. This means that your relationships with your former best friends have to change. You cannot be as good a friend as you were before you got married.

Sometimes your friends decide that your friendship is no longer working  for them and slowly fade out of your life. You should be prepared for this so that you’re not as hurt when it happens.