All marriages go through their dull patches. The honeymoon has to end eventually, after all. However, it’s much more difficult to cope with a marriage that seems to be on the brink of disaster. You might think that you’ve tried everything, but there are plenty of likely untested options that you should consider. Here are four tips on how to improve a failing relationship.

Change Your Routine

Part of why you might feel frustrated by your relationship is because it’s gotten stale. However, it might not be the relationship that has become stale, but your life. When every day is more or less the same, it’s easy to feel underwhelmed. Find activities for you and your partner to do to bring you out of your rut. This could be taking a class together or going on a trip. It will hopefully bring some zeal back into your lives and your relationship.

Seek Spiritual Advice

Sometimes, the answers to our problems can be found in the beyond or through earthly messengers. If you feel your marriage problems have become too big for you to handle, consider seeking someone to receive spiritual advice from. This could come from a pastor, rabbi, or even a psychic. While they can’t make decisions for you, they can certainly help to guide you in the right direction. Plus, it can just feel nice to speak to someone.

Work on Yourself

When relationships are going through difficulties, you might think that all the problems are external. However, if you take the time to look inward, you might realize you’re more culpable than you realize. When we are frustrated with ourselves, we look for problems in everyone else. Take a moment to think of what you’re contributing to the relationship. Are you distant and unresponsive? If you aren’t willing to take responsibility for yourself, your relationship won’t be able to grow.

Tell Your Partner How You Feel

Some solutions are so obvious, we never consider them. If you are concerned about the state of your marriage, there is no better person to speak to than your partner. Talking to them about this can be nerve-wracking. Give them as much advance notice as you’re comfortable with and sit down with them to discuss your feelings. You should also give them an opportunity to speak. You might not see eye-to-eye immediately, but you should have a lot to discuss. You should make plans to discuss things again soon and potentially go to marriage counseling.

When working to improve a failing relationship, it’s best to be optimistic. You need to have the right attitude in order to help keep your marriage alive. By following these tips, you greatly improve your chances of keeping your marriage alive.