This coffee hack could save your relationship (Picture: Getty Images)
We all know that coffee perks you up in the morning, but can it also save your relationship?
One woman on social media swears by a five-minute coffee hack she claims does exactly that.
Lifestyle coach and relationship expert Aston Simmonds, from Perth, Australia, shared a video on Instagram about the hack, which she calls a ‘relationship game changer’.
Aston suggests setting aside five minutes a day – particularly in the morning while you have your coffee – to communicate and reconnect with your partner. ‘We begin with open communication about how we are both feeling in ourselves and within the relationship,’ she said in a Kidspot article.
‘The intention is to listen and take turns sharing for one minute or less.’
The hack, although simple, completely changed the trajectory of her marriage. Aston explained that she and her husband Adam were considering divorce and in between household chores and work, they couldn’t find any time to spend time for each other.
When they did speak, it was about chores and bills. That was until they discovered the coffee hack.
‘I truly believe the difference between a successful relationship and a failing relationship is that they check in with each other regularly, not just when they’ve had enough and are ready to check out,’ she said.
‘It not only saved our marriage but completely transformed our relationship too.’
The mum-of-two posts about the hack on Instagram, where she encourages her followers to make their morning caffeine fix a time to communicate with their partners.
Aston and husband Adam have their coffee catch-ups even when they’re not at home. She captioned an Instagram post: ‘Even whilst on holidays for three weeks we still did our five-min coffee check in. Why?? Because this hack really works, it’s a relationship game changer.
‘Taking a five-minute coffee break together is so much more than just caffeine – it’s our daily dose of connection, deep conversation and a fun way to get on the same page.’
According to psychologist Dr Audrey Tang, there are three issues that are likely to appear in a relationship. When they do arise, if communication breaks down, the relationship is in trouble.
The issues often concern money, long-term goals for the future or emotional affairs.
But hope should not be lost, as Dr Tang said that couples should try SEAL as a conversation prompt. The acronym comes from Rosalind Wiseman’s book Queen Bees and Wannabees (the same book that inspired the film Mean Girls) and Dr Tang told Metro.co.uk these prompts should help when it comes to emotional conversations.
How to communicate better in a relationship
S – Strategise – take a step back and decide what it is you want out of the situation
E – Explain (as it says! – but this can also include explanations such as “I need to talk about how I’ve been feeling and see what we can do to change it” or “It wouldn’t be fair for me to let you assume x when I meant y”)
A – Affirm – be clear on what action you are going to take or want to take
L – Lock in or out – this is knowing whether you want the relationship to continue and on what basis.
– Dr Audrey Tang
SEAL could work well for couples who try the coffee hack.
Thankfully, you don’t even have to be a coffee drinker to try the hack – it works the same over a cuppa as well.
So, pop the kettle on and start chatting.
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Your early morning caffeine fix could improve your relationship.