Vikrant Massey and Sheetal Thakur have been happily married for four years now, and through ups and downs, what has held them together is a lot of love, respect, and admiration for each other. Speaking to BBC Hindi while promoting his latest work, Musafir Cafe, Massey spilled the beans on the secret sauce to his robust marriage:“Out of the 365 days in a year, 350 need to go well. 15 days we have to manage. This much we can do. When we go to bed at night after a fight or an argument, we should not carry it into the next day. We don’t extend the fight beyond that day, even if we feel like addressing it the next morning,” Massey told the platform. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BBC News Hindi (@bbchindi)Alishiba Arsud, clinical psychologist at Mpower, Aditya Birla Education Trust, says that from a psychological perspective, strong marriages are built on regular, intentional emotional connection, and not on the absence of conflict. According to her, research in relationship psychology shows that couples who engage in frequent emotional check-ins report higher marital satisfaction and lower divorce rates.“Asking about three things that made a partner feel loved ensures that appreciation remains central. Regularly highlighting positive behaviors strengthens emotional bonds and reinforces actions that nurture the relationship,” she tells indianexpress.com.However, Rutuja Varade, psychologist, Mpower Aditya Birla Education Trust, believes sleeping over after a fight is not always a sign of avoidance. At times, it may serve as a coping strategy that helps a person relax, manage their emotions, and gain a clearer understanding of the situation before responding.“In times of conflict, the emotional regions of our brain, particularly the amygdala, become intensely active, triggering our fight-or-flight reaction. At those times, we might say things on the spur of the moment that we do not genuinely mean,” she tells indianexpress.com.Sometimes, stepping back, resting, or sleeping on the issue can help the nervous system calm down and allow the rational part of the brain to regain control, she adds.How to move forward?Arsud says it all comes down to couples receive feedback. She quotes psychological studies that state that “people are more open to change when feedback is specific, limited, and delivered within a context of safety”. By restricting feedback to one or two points at a go, she says that the habit prevents criticism overload, which is a common trigger for defensiveness and withdrawal in couples.Story continues below this adShe believes no matter the time of the day, non-defensive listening is the most clinically significant aspect of this discipline.“Defensiveness has been identified as one of the strongest predictors of marital dissatisfaction and separation. When partners listen without explaining, justifying, or counterattacking, it communicates respect and emotional maturity,” Arsud shares, adding that this form of listening activates empathy and allows partners to feel truly seen and heard—key elements of emotional security.Over time, this practice strengthens emotional attunement, which research identifies as a foundation of lasting intimacy. “Emotional attunement helps couples anticipate each other’s needs, repair conflicts faster, and maintain trust during stressful life phases,” she tells indianexpress.com.According to her, this habit works not because it eliminates problems, but because it prevents emotional neglect. “It transforms feedback into connection, conflict into collaboration, and routine moments into relational maintenance. From a clinical standpoint, such disciplined, low-effort habits often make the greatest difference in keeping marriages resilient and emotionally healthy,” she concludes.Story continues below this adDISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.