Article: If you feel inclined to ignore your husband, it's important that you examine that inclination. In a relationship, it's very rare that one person is entirely to blame for a negative situation. It's possible you're inadvertently taking out your own bad mood or unhappiness on your husband. Spend some time considering what is bothering you. Is there anything you could be doing differently in your marriage? Are you not as present as you used to be? Do you sometimes take your husband for granted? Are there ways you could engage with annoying behaviors in good humor? Is there a deeper issue that's bothering you? If you're stressed or unhappy about something, even if it's unrelated to your marriage, this can come out in subtle ways. For example, if you're unhappy at work you may be more irritable. You may find yourself wanting to tune out your husband's anecdote about his trip to the gym. If there's something in your life that's bothering you, talk to your husband about your concerns. Then, make an effort to change your circumstances so you're a happier person overall. However, it may not simply be an issue on your end. If you consistently find yourself wanting to ignore your husband, your marriage may be in danger. Your husband may talk to you in a way you dislike. You may feel like the two of you don't have time for one another anymore. You may be unsatisfied sexually in some capacity. If you find there's an issue the two of you should mutually work through, it needs to be addressed. Ignoring your husband is not a viable solution longterm. It can be stressful to talk about a major issue in your marriage. You can work on eliminating some of this stress by planning when and where you're going to talk. Choose a place free of distractions. Don't talk about your marriage in a crowded restaurant, for example. Instead, agree to sit down in the living room with the television set off. Avoid external time constraints. For example, if you have a PTA meeting at 7 o'clock don't plan to talk about your marriage at 6 o'clock. Pick a weekday or weekend night when neither of you have plans or external commitments. When discussing what's bothering you, it's important to use "I" statements. These are statements constructed in a way to emphasize feeling while minimizing objective judgement or blame. An "I" statement should focus primarily on how you feel about a situation. You want to take responsibility for your own feelings. This minimizes judgement. You're not stating an objective fact about your marriage. You're merely expressing your feelings about a situation. An "I" statement has 3 parts. You start with "I feel," then state your emotion, and then explain why you feel that way. When discussing your marriage, do not say something like, "It's inconsiderate when you lash out at me after a bad day at work." Instead, phrase this using an "I" statement. Say something like, "I feel hurt when you take out a lousy workday on me because I don't want to be in a relationship where getting yelled at is the norm." Sometimes, you may need a few days to cool down after a disagreement. You may find yourself ignoring your husband in a verbal sense as the two of you talk less. However, you should make up for the lack of communication by using non-verbal forms of reassurance. Be more physically affectionate with your husband. Hug and kiss him goodbye. Hold his hand or put your hand on his knee when you're sitting together. Work to make him feel secure in the relationship even when the two of you are frustrated with each other.

What is a summary?
Focus on yourself. Consider whether there's a problem with your marriage. Make time to discuss the issue. Use "I"-statements if something is bothering you. Use non-verbal forms of reassurance.