What do you do when it feels like you’re the only one trying to hold your relationship together?

You’re the one initiating the conversations, suggesting date nights, bringing up counseling, trying to communicate differently - and your partner seems uninterested, checked out, or perfectly fine with the way things are.

In this episode, we’re talking about the difference between doing your part and taking responsibility for the entire relationship. I’ll share what you actually can change, what you can’t, how to stop managing the relationship for both of you, and how to look for something that matters even more than perfection: willingness.

Because yes, one person can absolutely change the dynamic of a relationship.

But one person cannot create a partnership alone.

In this episode:

• How “trying harder” can turn into carrying too much
• How to ask more clearly for what you need
• Why changing your approach can sometimes improve the relationship
• What it means when your partner still doesn’t engage
• 3 practical things to try this week

If you’ve been feeling exhausted, resentful, or alone in your marriage, this one is for you.

For more relationship support and free resources, visit jenfunkcoaching.com.

Download Jen’s free guide, 5 Simple Habits to Improve Your Relationship Today, at https://www.jenfunkcoaching.com/5simplehabits

Or sign up to receive Jen's weekly newsletter filled with relationship tips and tools at https://www.jenfunkcoaching.com/newsletter

You can also check out Jen on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@jenfunkcoaching

You can love your partner deeply, do a million things for them, and still have them say they don’t really feel loved.

So what gives?

In this episode, I’m talking about the difference between how we think we’re showing love and what actually makes our partner feel cared for. Sometimes it’s not about doing more - it’s about understanding what matters most to the person you’re with.

I’ll walk you through three simple questions and action steps you can try this week:

• Ask: “When do you feel most loved by me?”
• Ask the opposite: “What do I do that I think is loving, but actually doesn’t feel that way to you?”
• Pick just one thing your partner tells you and do more of that.

Because sometimes your partner doesn’t need more effort from you. They just need more of the things that make them feel loved.

Listen in and see how well you really know what makes your partner feel closest to you

For more relationship support and free resources, visit jenfunkcoaching.com.

Download Jen’s free guide, 5 Simple Habits to Improve Your Relationship Today, at https://www.jenfunkcoaching.com/5simplehabits

Or sign up to receive Jen's weekly newsletter filled with relationship tips and tools at https://www.jenfunkcoaching.com/newsletter

You can also check out Jen on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@jenfunkcoaching

Do you ever feel like you’re doing a hundred little things for your family and no one really notices?

In this episode, we’re talking about what it actually means when you start feeling unappreciated in your relationship - and why sometimes what you’re really craving isn’t more help, but simply to feel seen.

We’ll talk about why appreciation can fade over time, how silent scorekeeping can quietly turn into resentment, and what to do instead of waiting for your partner to magically figure out what you need.

I’ll also share a very real example from my own marriage during the chaos of college move-in and bringing home a new puppy - because sometimes one tiny comment can hit very differently when you’re already carrying a lot. 😂

You’ll walk away with a few simple ways to:

• Get clear on what “feeling appreciated” actually looks like for you
• Ask for what you need without starting a fight
• Stop resentment from building in the background
• Bring more appreciation back into your relationship
• Give yourself credit for what you’re carrying, too

Because most relationships don’t need some huge dramatic overhaul.

Sometimes we just need to start noticing each other again.

For more relationship support and free resources, visit jenfunkcoaching.com.

Download Jen’s free guide, 5 Simple Habits to Improve Your Relationship Today, at https://www.jenfunkcoaching.com/5simplehabits

Or sign up to receive Jen's weekly newsletter filled with relationship tips and tools at https://www.jenfunkcoaching.com/newsletter

You can also check out Jen on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@jenfunkcoaching

Conflict is part of every relationship - but the way you handle it can either move you toward resolution or create damage that lasts far beyond the original disagreement.

In this episode, Jen shares eight practical rules for handling conflict more effectively with your partner, parents, in-laws, kids, or anyone else you care about.

You’ll learn why you shouldn’t start - or stay in - a conversation when you’re too angry, how to keep one disagreement from turning into five, why alcohol and important conversations don’t mix, and what to do instead of yelling, saying cruel things, or threatening the relationship.

Jen also shares a simple action step: creating your own conflict agreement so you can decide in advance how you want to treat each other when emotions are high.

Because you cannot control how someone else fights - but you can decide who you are going to be in the fight.

Download Jen’s free guide, 5 Simple Habits to Improve Your Relationship Today, at https://www.jenfunkcoaching.com/5simplehabits

Or sign up to receive Jen's weekly newsletter filled with relationship tips and tools at https://www.jenfunkcoaching.com/newsletter

You can also check out Jen on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@jenfunkcoaching

In this episode, relationship coach Jen Funk shares a simple exercise to help you become more present with your spouse, your children, your family, and even yourself. You'll learn why stronger relationships aren't built through bigger vacations or elaborate plans - they're built in ordinary moments like family dinners, evening walks, coffee on the porch, and even a random Tuesday night.

If you've been feeling busy, distracted, or like life is moving too fast, this conversation will help you slow down, reconnect with what matters most, and create memories you'll be grateful for later.

• Why we miss the moments that matter most

• How to become more present in your everyday life

• A simple exercise to help you prioritize what matters most

• Why small moments create stronger relationships

• How to intentionally make time for your spouse, your family, and yourself

If this episode encouraged you, please follow the podcast and share it with someone who needs this reminder today.

Connect with Jen:

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Is your marriage really the problem - or is it something else?

In this episode, relationship coach Jen Funk shares one surprising lesson from a recent movie (The Invite) that completely changed the way she thinks about marriage, disappointment, and personal growth.

You'll learn why we often blame our spouse for feelings that started somewhere else, why your spouse can't carry the weight of your unlived life, and how becoming a healthier person can transform your relationship.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why disappointment can quietly damage a marriage• The danger of expecting your spouse to make you happy• How personal growth strengthens relationships• Two powerful questions every couple should ask• A simple metaphor you'll never forget: "What's your piano?"

If your marriage feels disconnected, stuck, or just different than it used to, this episode will help you think about your relationship in a completely new way.

If this episode helped you, please follow the podcast and share it with someone who could benefit.

Connect with Jen:🌐 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jenfunkcoaching.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💌

Weekly newsletter + relationship tips: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jenfunkcoaching.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Download Jen’s free guide:5 Simple Habits to Improve Your Relationship Today ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jenfunkcoaching.com/5simplehabits

Ever get into a fight with your partner, it ends poorly, and you think, "I'm not reaching out first - HE owes ME the apology"? You're not alone. But the longer you wait for your partner to reach out, the more emotional distance grows between you - until one fight turns into days of tension or the silent treatment.

In this episode, relationship coach Jen Funk explains why it's so hard to be the one who reconnects first after an argument, and why pride, fear, and the belief that "going first means I was wrong" keep couples stuck. Then she walks through four practical steps to break the standoff and reconnect with your partner - without giving in or taking all the blame.

You'll learn why waiting it out almost always makes things worse, how to open a conversation so your partner doesn't get defensive, why owning your part (without excuses) can shift the entire dynamic, and how staying curious instead of defensive helps you both feel understood again.

Twenty-five years into her own marriage, Jen still has disagreements with her husband, KC - but she's learned how to find their way back to each other quickly, before a small disconnect becomes a giant chasm. This episode will help you do the same, in any relationship where distance has crept in - a spouse, a parent, an adult child, or a close friend.

For more relationship tools, download Jen's free guide, "5 Simple Habits to Improve Your Relationship Today," at JenFunkCoaching.com or sign up for the weekly newsletter with stories and tips to strengthen your relationship.

New episodes every week.

How do couples make difficult decisions without hurting their relationship? In this episode, relationship coach Jen Funk shares 5 practical strategies to help couples navigate difficult decisions, strengthen communication, and make confident decisions together without regret.

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Hardest Relationship Decisions

01:50 When Two Good Choices Compete

05:10 Why Couples Get Stuck

06:52 A Better Way to Make Decisions

08:28 Stop Trying to Win

09:36 Let Values Guide Your Priorities

11:48 Every Choice Has a Cost

Have you ever faced a decision where both options felt right, but choosing one meant giving up something you truly valued?

Whether it's accepting a career opportunity, moving your family, navigating an empty nest, or balancing marriage and parenthood, the hardest relationship decisions usually aren't between right and wrong - they're between two good choices...

In this video you'll learn:

✔ How to make difficult decisions as a couple

✔ Why the hardest relationship decisions involve two good choices

✔ How to identify the values behind disagreements

✔ Why understanding matters more than winning

✔ How values shape your priorities in marriage

✔ Why every decision has a cost

✔ How to stop second-guessing your choices

✔ Practical communication tools for healthier relationships

💌 Get my weekly relationship tips:

https://www.jenfunkcoaching.com/newsletter

🌐 Work with me or grab free relationship resources:

https://www.jenfunkcoaching.com/

💌 Download the 5 Simple Habits to Improve Your Relationship Today:

https://www.jenfunkcoaching.com/5simplehabits

Send me a message or leave a comment below - I’d love to hear what difficult decision you're navigating, and I'll do my best to help.

ABOUT RELATING WITH JEN FUNK

Relating with Jen Funk is a relationship podcast that helps couples build healthier relationships through better communication, emotional intelligence, trust, conflict resolution, and practical relationship skills. Every episode provides real-life strategies to help you strengthen your marriage, (and all relationships,) deepen emotional connection, and navigate life's biggest challenges together.

#RelationshipAdvice #MarriageAdvice #CouplesCommunication #HealthyRelationships #DecisionMaking #MarriageCommunication #RelationshipCoach #ConflictResolution #CommunicationSkills #JenFunk