Ideas for returning to each other.
Browse the Journal.
Search for something specific, or browse by format and topic.
Searches titles, descriptions, topics, categories, and the full text of every published Journal piece.
More topics
Conflict & Repair
Ways to handle friction, take healthy space, come back together, and repair after hard moments.
Search the Journal
Results from across all published Essays and Stories.
Stop Trying to Win the Argument You’re Both Losing
Sometimes the argument stops being about solving the problem and quietly becomes about proving who is right. Here’s how couples can disagree honestly, hold their ground when needed, and still remember they are arguing with someone they love—not opposing counsel.
EP 1: Marcus Needs Space. Tasha Needs an Answer.
Marcus needs a little space. Tasha needs to know whether “later” means twenty minutes or next Tuesday. One ordinary Tuesday night becomes a funny, tender lesson in how to step away without leaving the person you love behind.
When One of You Wants to Talk and the Other Needs Space
One spouse wants to talk it out now. The other needs room to breathe. Neither need is automatically wrong—but couples need a way to take space without turning it into abandonment.