5 ways to improve a marriage

For the first 10 years of her marriage, writer Elizabeth Weil says she and her husband had two rules: no cheating, no dying. It was working fine, but she wondered if they could do better. She decided to consult various therapists, financial planners, religious figures, and others to learn what makes a marriage most successful. Here are five of the tips Weil gathered for her book, 'No Cheating, No Dying.'

- Molly Driscoll, Monitor contributor

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1. Verbal cues can keep communication open

According to a US Department of Health and Human Services marriage class which Weil and her husband Dan participated in, there are verbal tricks that can help husbands and wives communicate better – more in the way that they'd talk with anyone else. A few of the best? Listening, not exaggerating, and giving praise before delivering a critical statement.