Latest news with #couples
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
English holiday park in ancient woodland reveals new expansion plans with more lodges plus pool and spa
A HOLIDAY park tucked away in ancient English woodland is set for a major glow-up. The site will welcome new lodges, plus a swanky pool and spa, making it the ultimate countryside escape for families and couples alike. 4 4 A luxury lodge park hidden deep in an ancient royal forest is fast becoming one of the UK's best-kept getaway secrets. Rockingham Forest Park, tucked away in the historic woodlands near King's Cliffe, sits on what was once a World War Two airfield – but these days it's all hot tubs, hammocks and heavenly views. The site opened in April 2021 with 50 plush cabins – and it's proved to be a hit with families, couples and nature lovers alike. Set on former royal deer hunting grounds, the woodland retreat is packed with wildlife including deer, red kites and even rare butterflies. THE EXPANSION Rockingham Forest Park in North Northamptonshire has been granted permission to build 64 more luxury lodges along with a brand-new leisure hub, as part of a huge expansion. Bosses say demand for the woodland retreat has boomed since launch – with bookings soaring as holidaymakers swap beach breaks for cosy countryside escapes. The new phase will include lodges ranging from two to five bedrooms, plus a gym, swimming pool, spa, restaurant and bar, and a whopping 156 extra parking spaces to cater for more guests. THE OBJECTIONS The park's expansion hasn't come without controversy – with earlier plans for 80 extra lodges slammed over fears they'd wreck the local wildlife and clog up roads. North Northamptonshire Council's planning authority initially raised concerns about flooding, environmental damage and traffic, with one resident branding the site a "notorious accident blackspot." But despite the objections, the local highways authority gave the thumbs up – and the revised proposal for 64 new lodges finally got the green light. Holiday Park in UK village that looks like Greece Anglian Water also objected, warning of pollution risks and capacity issues, but said the project could go ahead if a proper waste strategy is put in place. Speaking on behalf of the developer, Becky Brown insisted the park is being built with nature in mind, saying: 'Phase one of the park was designed and has been built out with environmental stewardship at its core.' She added the expansion will create 31 full-time and multiple part-time jobs and boost the local economy – all while respecting the area's sensitive surroundings. THE REVIEWS Guests are going wild for the scenic surroundings, swish kitchens and welcome packs filled with local treats. One holidaymaker even spotted a stag strolling past their lodge. The peaceful setting gets top marks from guests, with plenty of praise for the friendly staff, stocked kitchens and the bistro – where you can even order a pizza to your pod. And it's not just the park that's worth a visit – nearby hotspots like Burghley House, Stamford and the stunning Fineshade Wood nature reserve offer perfect day trip options. Throw in forest trails, off-road adventures, a microbrewery and local farms, and you've got all the ingredients for a proper countryside escape. 4 4
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
US couples with a noncitizen partner: did you decide to get married because of immigration policy concerns?
Amid Trump's mass deportation campaign, some couples with a foreign-born partner who live in the US are considering getting married as the safest and most affordable way to stay together in the long term. Since the month Trump was re-elected in November 2024, the New York City marriage bureau recorded a 33% increase in marriage license applications, the City first reported. Although it's hard to say how many unmarried transnational couples there are in the US, in 2021, 12.4% of all married couples included a foreign spouse, the highest percentage on record. If you're part of a couple with a foreign-born partner whom you're not yet married to or whom you recently wed, we'd like to hear from you. You can share your experiences of getting married as a transnational couple in the US using this form. Please include as much detail as possible. Please include as much detail as possible. Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you include other people's names please ask them first. If you're having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
14 Silent Patterns That Lead To Divorce Faster Than Cheating
When people think about the silent killers of marriage, cheating usually tops the list. Yet, there are subtler, insidious patterns that erode the bond between partners more quietly but just as destructively. These patterns, often overlooked because they're not as flashy as infidelity, can be just as detrimental to a healthy relationship. Let's explore some of these lesser-known but highly impactful dynamics that can end a marriage even faster than an affair. Poor communication can create a breeding ground for misunderstandings and disagreements. When you and your partner aren't effectively sharing your thoughts and feelings, it's easy for misinterpretations to occur. This can lead to assumptions and judgments that might not have any basis in reality, fostering unnecessary conflict. Often, people aren't aware that their communication style is an issue until tensions have reached a boiling point. Developing better communication habits can take time, but it's crucial for preventing miscommunication from harming your relationship. Moreover, poor communication isn't just about arguing or fighting. It also includes the absence of meaningful dialogue, such as not checking in with each other or sharing important news. Without these exchanges, partners can start to feel like strangers over time. This disconnect can lead to feelings of loneliness and alienation, even when you're physically together. By initiating open and honest conversations, you can begin to bridge this gap and strengthen your bond. You might think that avoiding conflict is keeping the peace, but in reality, it's setting the stage for unresolved issues to fester. When you and your partner sweep disagreements under the rug, those issues don't go away; they just linger in the background, waiting to resurface. Licensed marriage counselor Dr. John Gottman points out that avoiding conflict can lead to resentment, as emotional needs remain unmet. Over time, this can build a barrier between you, making meaningful communication feel impossible. What starts as an effort to keep things calm might end up creating an emotional chasm. This habit of avoidance can also lead to a lack of intimacy. When you're not addressing problems, you're not learning how to resolve them together, which is a cornerstone of a strong partnership. It also means you're not learning about each other's evolving needs and desires. The lack of deep conversations can lead to a feeling of detachment and loneliness, even when you're together. Ultimately, avoiding conflict is a temporary solution that often leads to permanent damage. Emotional withdrawal often begins subtly, with one partner starting to distance themselves from the other. This can manifest as spending less time together, sharing less about your day, or losing interest in each other's passions. When you withdraw emotionally, you deny your partner the connection and support that a relationship needs to thrive. It's not just about being physically present; it's about being emotionally engaged and available. Over time, this pattern can leave the other person feeling isolated and unloved. Many people don't recognize emotional withdrawal as a problem until too late. It can be easy to rationalize these behaviors as just being busy or needing personal space. However, when emotional withdrawal becomes a trend, it can signal deeper issues that need addressing. If left unchecked, it can lead to a breakdown in communication and trust. Rebuilding these lost connections requires effort and a willingness to be vulnerable, which can be challenging once emotional distance has set in. Taking your partner for granted is a surefire way to erode the foundation of your relationship. When you stop appreciating each other, the little gestures that once felt special can start to seem obligatory or expected. Dr. Gary Chapman, author of "The Five Love Languages," emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and expressing gratitude, as it reinforces the bond between partners. Feeling unappreciated often leads to dissatisfaction and can make staying in the relationship seem less appealing. This lack of gratitude can slowly chip away at the love and respect you have for each other. Moreover, when appreciation is absent, negativity can easily take its place. Complaints may start to outweigh compliments, and partners can begin to focus more on each other's flaws than strengths. Over time, this negativity can become a habitual way of interacting, making it difficult to see the positive aspects of your partner. By making a conscious effort to express gratitude regularly, you can help prevent this negative pattern from taking root. Remembering to appreciate both the big and small things can reignite a sense of connection and joy. Neglecting your relationship often happens slowly and can be challenging to recognize until it's too late. Life's demands—whether it's work, kids, or other responsibilities—can overshadow time and energy spent on nurturing your connection. Research published in the Journal of Marriage and Family highlights how couples who actively prioritize their relationship often report higher satisfaction. If you don't make a conscious effort to keep the relationship alive, it can quickly become stale and routine. Before long, this lack of attention can lead to feelings of emptiness and dissatisfaction. Moreover, neglecting your relationship doesn't just hurt your partner; it affects you as well. When you ignore the partnership, you miss out on the joy and fulfillment it can bring to your life. The lack of effort can become a habit, making it seem normal to live parallel lives rather than a shared one. Reversing this pattern requires a conscious choice to make time for each other, even when it feels inconvenient. By scheduling regular date nights or simply spending quality time together, you can reignite the spark that brought you together in the first place. Financial stress is a common but often silent strain on relationships. Money issues can cause tension, arguments, and even resentment between partners. When financial stress goes unaddressed, it can create a sense of instability and insecurity that seeps into all areas of life. It's not always about the lack of money; sometimes, differing financial priorities or habits are the root of the problem. Without open discussions about finances, assumptions and miscommunications can easily arise. This financial strain can lead to feelings of mistrust, especially if one partner feels the other is not being transparent about money matters. Over time, this can erode trust, an essential component of any healthy relationship. Without trust, the partnership becomes vulnerable to further issues and arguments. To combat financial stress, it's crucial to have honest conversations about money and work together on budgeting and financial planning. By addressing financial issues head-on, you can prevent them from becoming a larger problem that threatens your relationship. Having different life goals can be a silent but potent source of conflict in a marriage. When your visions for the future don't align, it can lead to disagreements and a sense of drifting apart. Dr. Lisa Firestone, a clinical psychologist, notes that mismatched life goals can cause partners to feel unsupported and misunderstood, leading to ongoing tension. Whether it's career aspirations, family planning, or lifestyle choices, not being on the same page can create a disconnect. This can make it challenging to work towards a shared future, as each person's priorities pull them in different directions. Moreover, differing life goals can lead to resentment if one partner feels they are sacrificing their dreams for the other. Over time, this can create feelings of bitterness that are difficult to overcome. It's essential to have open discussions about your goals and find compromises that honor both partners' aspirations. By doing so, you can create a shared vision for the future and prevent these differences from driving a wedge between you. Working together towards common objectives can strengthen your relationship and ensure that both partners feel valued and understood. Unresolved past issues can act like a heavy weight on your relationship. These may include past arguments, misunderstandings, or even issues from previous relationships that were never fully addressed. When past grievances linger, they can resurface during new disagreements, making conflict resolution challenging. It's easy to bring up old wounds when you're upset, but this often leads to further arguments rather than resolution. This cycle of rehashing past issues can create a toxic environment where neither partner feels heard or valued. Leaving past issues unresolved can also block future growth. When you carry emotional baggage into the present, it can prevent you from moving forward as a couple. This stunted growth can lead to frustration and create a sense of being stuck in the same place. For a relationship to thrive, it's crucial to address and resolve past grievances so that they don't continue to influence the present. By doing so, you can clear the path for a healthier, more constructive relationship. Physical intimacy is more than just sex—it's about connection, affection, and closeness. A lack of physical intimacy can lead partners to feel unwanted or unloved, even if other aspects of the relationship are strong. When physical touch becomes infrequent, it can create a sense of distance, both emotionally and physically. This can diminish the feeling of being a team, as partners miss out on the bonding that comes from regular physical connection. Over time, this lack of intimacy can lead to a weakening of the overall relationship bond. Moreover, the absence of physical intimacy can exacerbate other issues within the relationship. It can make conflicts seem more significant and resolutions harder to achieve. When physical affection is missing, partners might seek that connection elsewhere, potentially leading to further complications. Addressing the lack of physical intimacy requires honest discussions about needs and desires, as well as a commitment to reconnecting. By prioritizing physical affection, you can help maintain a strong emotional connection and keep your relationship healthy. Constant criticism can wear down even the strongest relationships over time. When one or both partners frequently focus on the other's flaws or mistakes, it can create a toxic environment. This pattern often leads to defensiveness and resentment, making it difficult to have productive conversations. Instead of working together to solve problems, partners may find themselves in a constant state of conflict. This can make the relationship feel more like a battleground than a supportive partnership. Additionally, constant criticism can erode self-esteem and confidence. When someone is frequently criticized, they may begin to internalize these negative messages, leading to feelings of inadequacy. This can create a vicious cycle where the criticized partner becomes less inclined to communicate openly or take initiatives within the relationship. To break this cycle, it's crucial to shift the focus from criticism to understanding and support. By fostering a more positive and constructive environment, you can help your relationship thrive. Ignoring your partner's emotional needs can create a significant rift in your relationship. Everyone has specific needs for love, validation, and support, and when these go unmet, it can lead to feelings of neglect. Over time, this neglect can result in emotional detachment, where partners feel like they are merely coexisting rather than truly connecting. It's essential to actively engage with your partner's emotional needs and make an effort to meet them. By doing so, you reinforce the bond and ensure that both of you feel valued and understood. Failing to address emotional needs can also trigger other relationship issues. It can lead to arguments, misunderstandings, and a lack of intimacy, as one or both partners feel unappreciated. When emotional needs are ignored, partners may seek fulfillment outside the relationship, either consciously or unconsciously. This can be a slippery slope toward further complications and potential infidelity. By being attentive to each other's emotional needs, you can help create a more supportive and fulfilling relationship. Holding grudges is like carrying a weight that gets heavier over time. When you hold onto past wrongs, it can prevent you from truly forgiving and moving forward. This can create a cycle of resentment and bitterness, making it difficult to address new issues constructively. In a relationship, holding grudges can lead to frequent arguments and a lack of trust, as past grievances are brought up repeatedly. This prevents both partners from experiencing true healing and closure. Moreover, grudges can overshadow the positive aspects of the relationship. When you're focused on past wrongs, it becomes challenging to appreciate the good things your partner brings into your life. This can make the relationship feel more negative than it truly is, eroding the love and connection you once shared. Letting go of grudges involves both partners working towards forgiveness and understanding. By releasing past grievances, you can create a more positive and harmonious relationship. Failing to manage your time effectively can have serious repercussions on your relationship. When work, hobbies, and other commitments consistently take precedence over your partnership, it can lead to feelings of neglect. Partners may start to feel like they are not a priority, which can lead to dissatisfaction and resentment. Over time, this can create a sense of distance and alienation, making it difficult to maintain a strong connection. It's crucial to balance your commitments and ensure that quality time together is a consistent priority. Poor time management can also exacerbate other issues, such as stress and poor communication. When you're constantly busy, it leaves little room for meaningful conversations or resolving conflicts. This can lead to a cycle where problems go unaddressed, further straining the relationship. To prevent time mismanagement from damaging your relationship, it's essential to be intentional about scheduling time for each other. By prioritizing your relationship, you can help ensure it remains strong and fulfilling, even amidst life's demands. A lack of shared activities can contribute to a sense of disconnection in your relationship. When partners stop doing things together, it can lead to a feeling of living separate lives. This can be particularly damaging if those activities were once a significant part of your relationship. Sharing hobbies or interests fosters a sense of camaraderie and partnership, helping to strengthen the bond between you. Without these shared experiences, the relationship can start to feel more like a roommate situation than a romantic partnership. Moreover, the absence of shared activities can lead to a lack of excitement and novelty. Over time, this can make the relationship feel stagnant and unfulfilling. It's important to continually seek out new experiences and activities that you can enjoy together. By doing so, you create opportunities for growth and connection, keeping the relationship dynamic and engaging. Remember, spending quality time together doesn't have to be elaborate; even simple activities can help maintain a strong and healthy connection.
UAE Moments
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- UAE Moments
Daily Love Tarot Reading for July 15th, 2025
The Knight of Wands signals a surge of excitement in your love life. This card urges you to embrace passion and take risks, but remember to balance the thrill with sincerity. For singles: Singles might encounter a charismatic individual who sweeps them off their feet. For couples: If you're in a relationship, expect spontaneous plans or bold declarations of love. Pro Tip for the Day: While passion is thrilling, ensure your actions align with your long-term relationship goals. Stay tuned for tomorrow's love tarot guidance and let the cards illuminate your journey! For more tarot readings, be the first to receive our newsletter straight to your inbox! Follow us on our Whatsapp channel for latest news
Forbes
3 days ago
- General
- Forbes
3 Signs Of The ‘Conflict Paradox' In A Relationship, By A Psychologist
Couples who fight and still feel close don't fear conflict. Instead, they use it as a doorway to ... More deeper connection. Conflict is often viewed as a threat to intimacy; an indicator that something is fundamentally wrong. However, conflict has a more nuanced reality: for some couples who have put in the work to make their relationship foundation healthy, arguments serve as a process through which emotional closeness is deepened. When managed constructively, conflict can become a mechanism for growth, understanding and secure attachment. This is the 'conflict paradox' — some couples argue, but often grow closer as a result of it. This is not the same as living for the intensity and rush of a conflict and feeling bonded after. It means being deeply grounded in your connection and putting the relationship first, despite unwanted conflict. Here are three psychological reasons why some couples engage in conflict and yet report increased closeness afterward. 1. They See Conflict As An Emotional Realignment Process Misalignments are inevitable. Emotional needs change; expectations shift. As a result, unresolved tensions can quietly accumulate over time. Couples who feel emotionally safe enough to express dissatisfaction, even through conflict, are often engaging in a process of emotional realignment. According to research on relational conflict and reconciliation, emotional pain tends to trigger one of two responses: a defensive reaction that perpetuates the conflict, or a more intentional turn toward justice and grace, which facilitates healing. In this framework, conflict is not inherently destructive. Rather, it is an adaptive response to emotional pain, signaling that something in the relationship needs to be addressed or restructured. In such dynamics, the only concern is that these arguments may not always be articulated clearly. They may emerge as frustration, sarcasm or even defensiveness. So even if it is difficult, remind yourself of how much you care about this relationship and put in the effort to look beneath the surface, where the message is often some version of: 'I need you to see me differently now.' This is a call for empathy and care, regardless of your differences. Instead of interpreting disagreement as relational breakdown, emotionally healthy couples use conflict as a cue to renegotiate roles, clarify needs and update their understanding of each other's internal worlds. In this way, the argument becomes less about dysfunction and more about data, revealing where connection needs to be repaired or reestablished. 2. Their Relationship Can 'Contain' The Conflict Without Collapsing A telling feature of couples who are emotionally resilient in their partnerships is their ability to 'contain' conflict — to experience emotional intensity without letting it crack the relationship. This containment allows partners to express anger, frustration or hurt without slipping into destructive patterns like contempt, stonewalling or emotional withdrawal. Even in heated moments, the relationship remains unaffected at its roots because conflict stays within respectable boundaries. A 2015 diary study of 100 cohabiting couples found that partners with greater attachment security were better able to emotionally recover after conflict. They reported less disruption to mood, intimacy and satisfaction on the following day. Meaning, their relationship could hold emotional tension without becoming destabilized. In contrast, couples with higher attachment anxiety experienced more pronounced emotional fallout, indicating that the perceived strength of the bond plays a critical role in post-conflict repair. This ability to 'hold' conflict without collapse reflects a deep trust. The belief that the relationship can stretch without breaking essentially marks the difference between differentiation (the capacity to stay emotionally present despite disagreement) and disintegration (where conflict is experienced as a threat to the bond itself.) But the crux is that, when couples argue within secure emotional bounds, they don't fear emotional ruin. They trust that they can return to each other, and that makes all the difference. 3. Conflict Reveals Vulnerabilities, And The Way They Handle It Deepens Intimacy In several cases, the content of a fight is less important than what it reveals about each partner's emotions. Anger, withdrawal or defensiveness often serve as protective layers, masking deeper emotional struggles like a fear of abandonment, unmet needs or longstanding feelings of inadequacy. Partners who grow closer through conflict are mostly the ones who are able, or willing, to engage with this underlying vulnerability rather than react only to the surface behavior. When one partner says, 'You never listen to me,' they might actually mean to say that they feel invisible. When another retreats into silence, it may mean that they have a fear of saying the wrong thing. Partners who can attune to these emotional signals respond to the emotional subtext underlying the surface level argument. This enhances intimacy by validating one another's inner experiences and reinforcing the sense that, even in conflict, one can be seen, heard and emotionally held. Research backs this up. A 2021 study in the Journal of Family Psychology found that people felt their partners were less emotionally supportive when they shared something vulnerable that directly involved the partner, unless that partner was mindful and present. When partners were mindful, they stayed supportive even during tough conversations. These findings suggest that vulnerability has the potential to deepen intimacy, but it has to be met with presence, openness and care. Here are a few strategies to allow your fights to pull you closer rather than apart: 1. Treat the argument as a living system reorganizing itself. Think of conflict as the relationship's way of recalibrating. Like a garden that needs regular pruning to grow well, your relationship may need occasional tension to clear out emotional overgrowth and make space for healthier connection. Ask yourself: 'What equilibrium were we stuck in that this fight is trying to disrupt?' 2. Notice which role you automatically occupy, and step out of it. In many fights, couples unconsciously fall into rehearsed roles: the pursuer and the distancer, the critic and the defender, the exploder and the imploder. Closeness grows when even one partner steps outside the script. Think: 'What would happen if I changed my usual reaction, just by 10%?' 3. Assume the fight is a bid for attachment, not just a dispute. Most conflict isn't about logistics. It's about longing. A protest is often a disguised plea that sounds like 'Where are you? Do I still matter to you?' Metaphorically, the fight is the smoke, and the longing is the fire. Instead of defending your position, respond to the emotion. For instance: 'It sounds like you're scared I've stopped caring.' 4. Don't just repair the argument, repair the narrative. Healthy couples don't just fix the content of a fight; they fix the roots of it too. They reflect on what the fight meant in the broader arc of their relationship. So make sure you debrief later with: 'What did that argument show us about where we are right now?' In short, sometimes, a fight is the relationship's attempt to grow up. Don't just resolve it, listen to what it's trying to evolve you into. When handled with care, conflict does not erode connection. It can, paradoxically, be what fortifies it. Wondering if you and your partner resolve conflict productively or destructively? Take the science-backed Ineffective Arguing Inventory to find out.
