It can be hard to see other couples’ fancy vacations, expensive gifts for each other, and Michelin star dinner dates without feeling as though you aren’t doing enough to keep the spark alive in your own relationship. 

Yet, as both a psychologist who studies couples and as a husband, I always encourage people to inject novelty into their relationship. Thankfully, fun comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and price-points. And often, the most meaningful forms cost $0.

Here’s what the happiest, most successful couples do for fun — that most others neglect.

Not every couple has the time or budget to hop on a plane whenever they feel like shaking things up. But that doesn’t stop happy couples from finding adventure. They just do it locally.

Research shows that “micro-adventures” (think: staycations, day trips, or even discovering a new coffee shop across town) can bring just as much joy as big vacations.

They explore their city like tourists. They hit the trails, visit bookstores, museums, or check out that weird roadside attraction. The idea is to make the ordinary feel novel.

You love reading. Your partner is into video games. It might not seem like a match made in heaven — until you realize you can do them together, separately.

Psychologists call this “parallel play”: when couples do their own thing, but in the same space. Instead of forcing shared interests, you’re just creating shared presence.

As a result, couples can easily stay bonded without burning themselves out. Low-pressure, comfortable companionship supports deeper intimacy just as much as active socialization can. 

Yes, doing your own thing is important. But research shows that shared hobbies and rituals are strongly linked to relationship satisfaction.

This doesn’t mean starting a couple’s podcast or training for a marathon (unless you want to). For most couples, it’s as simple as a standing game night, a Sunday morning walk, or a favorite TV show they only watch together.

The point is consistency. These small shared rituals become something to look forward to, no matter how busy life gets.

Errands. Laundry. Dishes. Not exactly romantic. For working couples or couples with kids, it can be especially hard to find time for fun. This is why researchers agree that intentional playfulness should be a priority.

The happiest couples I know are good at “hijacking” the mundane. If they’re stuck with a boring chore or task, they’ll find a playlist or a show to put on in the background to spice it up. And if they’re out of the house running errands, they’ll turn it into an opportunity for a little game or competition.

They ensure that laughter and silliness is always on the agenda, even if it happens to overlap with their other tasks.

Remember your first date? That inside joke you used to have? That song that used to be “yours”?

So many people look back nostalgically at the early days of their relationship and think about how easy and simple it was to have fun. But happy couples know that the thrill of the honeymoon phase never has to end if they continue to honor it.

Research shows that rituals play an integral part of relationship satisfaction, quality, and intimacy. Happy couples leverage this by giving the activities that once brought them together a cherished place in their relationship.

Make it a point to talk, dream, and joke with your partner in the same playful, coy ways you did when you first met. It will keep things fun while simultaneously honoring the many ways your relationship came to be.

Mark Travers, PhD, is a psychologist who specializes in relationships. He holds degrees from Cornell University and the University of Colorado Boulder. He is the lead psychologist at Awake Therapy, a telehealth company that provides online psychotherapy, counseling, and coaching. He is also the curator of the popular mental health and wellness website, Therapytips.org.

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Over the last decade, I’ve founded multiple companies, interviewed over 500 candidates, and hired more than 100 people. 

As the CEO of two companies, I’ve made every hiring mistake you can imagine — and learned how costly they are.

The truth is, many bad hires look great on paper. But in the interview, there are three subtle behaviors that almost always predict trouble. Job seekers should know them, because to hiring managers, they’re giant red flags.

If someone shows up even a minute late to an interview, it raises questions right away. Sure, emergencies happen. But most of the time, it signals poor planning.

When someone doesn’t protect time for the interview, I have to assume they won’t protect time for clients, deadlines, or teammates once they’re in the role. In fast-moving agency environments, that can create real problems.

Do this instead

• Aim to be early, even if it’s a virtual interview. Log on 10 minutes ahead of time and test your tech.
• If something unavoidable does come up, communicate right away. A quick message goes a long way.
• Treat the interview with the same respect you’d give a client meeting.

Some candidates are great talkers. They sound smooth, confident, and quick on their feet. But when you listen closely, their answers aren’t rooted in personal experience.

I’ve had interviews where a candidate gave me a full paragraph that sounded smart, but when I replayed it in my head, I realized there was no real example, metric, or detail. 

In the age of AI, leaders want proof that you’ve faced challenges, solved problems, and delivered results — not just that you can sound good talking about them.

Do this instead

Instead of simply claiming strengths, the best candidates show them.

• Replace buzzwords with proof. Instead of “I’m collaborative,” tell a story about how collaboration helped you save a project.
• Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure answers.
• Prepare a few stories that highlight how you’ve put key skills into practice and how you’ve handled real challenges.

For me, energy is one of the most telling signals. The interview is your best-case performance — if you show up flat, it won’t get better once you’re actually on the job.

That’s especially important in client-facing or high-pressure roles. I’ve seen how much energy matters. A candidate who brings enthusiasm, curiosity, and presence to the conversation is far more likely to thrive than one who seems muted or disengaged.

Do this instead

• Acknowledge nerves but channel them into enthusiasm.
• Show engagement with tone, posture, and thoughtful questions.
• Let the interviewer see your real personality. Don’t fake this by pretending to be someone you’re not. Most people can see right through it. 

One good rule of thumb for any job interview is to bring the best version of yourself into the room. Remember that you’re not just being evaluated on your skills, you’re showing your prospective boss and team how you’ll show up day after day if they decide to hire you. So help them imagine what a great choice you’d be.

Eli Rubel is a life-long entrepreneur and currently serves as the CEO of Profit Labs, a strategic finance, bookkeeping, and accounting firm for agencies, and SurveyGate, a SaaS tool that helps business owners automatically capture objective client feedback. He also owns a small portfolio of services businesses, which includes NoBoringDesign, a design and creative agency for technology companies, and Matter Made, a B2B performance marketing agency for technology companies.

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Younger Americans are worried that Social Security is disappearing. Some 36% of Americans under age 65 don’t think the valuable social safety net will be available to them by the time they retire, according to a recent survey from NerdWallet.

It’s not hard to believe that once-reliable sources of income in retirement are headed by the wayside. Defined benefit pension plans, once ubiquitous, have all but disappeared: Just 8% of workers aged 18 to 29 had one as of 2023, per the Federal Reserve.

Headlines about Social Security are equally ominous.  Every year, the Social Security Administration warns the public that the trust fund used to pay retirement benefits is headed for depletion. The latest estimate, released in June, projects that the fund will dry up in 2033, at which point Uncle Sam will only be able to pay beneficiaries 77% of what they’re owed.

Experts say that date might even come sooner. Tax cuts in President Donald Trump’s budget bill, passed on July 4, bring the estimated depletion date up to the end of 2032, according to estimates from Social Security Administration Chief Actuary Karen Glenn.

In other words, if Congress doesn’t act, Social Security could soon be headed for diminishment — but not extinction.

“It’s an important nuance,” says Sam Taube, an investing writer and spokesperson at NerdWallet. “We’re not currently looking at a scenario where the program just goes away. But some degree of a haircut is pretty likely at this point.”

A brief reminder of how Social Security works: Workers pay Social Security taxes, typically via payroll deduction, on earnings up to $176,100 for 2025. Both you and your employer put money into the program to the tune of 6.2% of your income. That money goes into a trust fund from which the government pays out benefits to retirees, their survivors and people with qualifying disabilities.

You receive payments when you retire, with the amount varying depending on when you claim the benefits and how much money you made during your working years. The program is meant to be a safety net for retired Americans, but not their sole source of income. Benefits are designed to replace around 40% of your pre-retirement earnings, according to the Social Security Administration.

Given that the coffers are running low, something has to give in the next few years, says Catherine Collinson, president and CEO of the nonprofit Transamerica Institute.

“To put it in simple terms, they’ll have to change the benefit formula,” she says. “They could raise the payroll tax. They could also raise full retirement age — right now it’s 67, which is one of the oldest in the world.”

Or, if Congress fails to act altogether, beneficiaries could see reduced payments across the board. To prepare for these possibilities, financial pros recommend taking a few steps.

1. Get your Social Security statement

Even if you’re years away from retirement, you can sign up for an account with the Social Security Administration’s website and download your most recent statement. The government estimates your payment — a fraction of your pre-retirement income — using a formula that takes into account the average of your highest-earning 35 calendar years.

Your statement will show an estimated monthly payout, which assumes you’ll continue to earn your current salary from now until retirement. It also shows you the difference in your benefit depending on when you claim it: For workers born in 1960 or later, the full benefit kicks in at age 67. Claim earlier, and you’ll get a reduced benefit. Wait until age 70, and you’ll get an 8% per year bump.

“Knowing where your overall benefit stands is really helpful,” says Collinson. Understanding the rough dollar amount you can expect to receive in retirement can help you plan for any future changes to your benefit, she adds.

2. Do some backward math, and plan for the worst

Knowing the rough amount of your Social Security benefit, as things stand, can help you figure out if you’re on track to achieve the lifestyle you want in retirement. As a general rule, if you have a well-diversified portfolio, you can afford to withdraw roughly 4% a year in retirement without running out of money.

Run your current retirement portfolio through a compounding interest calculator to figure out how much money you might have by the time you stop working. Multiply by 0.04 to find your annual withdrawal amount. Now add in your Social Security benefit. Does that seem like enough to live on? If so, you might be in OK shape. If not, it’s worth considering how to bolster your savings.

If you want to go beyond back-of-the-napkin math, working with a financial advisor can give you a more comprehensive picture of what your finances could look like in the future. A financial pro can also walk you through scenarios in which Social Security gets a haircut, or even the unlikely event that it disappears altogether.

“In decision analysis, you look at the scenario for planning — worst case scenario, best case scenario, average case scenario,” says Phillip Battin, president and CEO of Ambassador Wealth Management. “The American mind always wants to build on the best-case scenario, and that’s called idealism, or utopian thinking, which obviously gets us in trouble.”

Planning for a reduction in Social Security — or other downside scenarios, like an untimely slowdown in the market — can provide financial security, and a bonus glut of cash should things turn out well, he says.

“It comes down to planning for every scenario,” he says. “It’s the only way to have true peace of mind.”

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Parents are constantly searching for ways to get their kids to listen. But a lot of us focus too much on trying to get them to obey in the moment, rather than building genuine long-term cooperation.

I’ve studied over 200 parent-child relationships, and I’m a mother myself. I’ve learned that kids listen best when they feel connected. A big part of that is emotional safety: knowing they are respected and have the freedom to express their feelings.

Here are six magic phrases that calm a child’s nervous system and make cooperation feel natural, which is the real secret to getting them to listen.

The moment kids feel doubted (“Did you really mean to do that?”), their defenses go up. They shift from connection into self-protection.

Belief defuses shame and creates safety. When a child feels safe, they can actually hear you.

Example:

Child: “I didn’t spill the juice on purpose!”

Parent: “I believe you. Let’s clean it up together.”

You’re addressing the behavior without getting into an argument.

The situation often turns into a standoff when there’s a parent just barking orders. But when kids help solve the problem, they’re more likely to stick to the solution.

Example:

Child refuses to clean up toys.

Parent: “I see you don’t want to clean everything now. Let’s figure this out together. What’s the first step?”

You’re still holding the boundary while preventing power struggles.

When kids are overwhelmed, they’re in survival mode and logic doesn’t land. Their nervous system is in fight-or-flight, and they need help regulating their emotions. This phrase validates their feelings and assures them they’re not alone, which helps them reset.

Example:

Preschooler has a meltdown when their tower of blocks fall. Instead of “Stop crying, you’re overreacting,” say: “You can feel this. I’m right here.”

You’re letting the wave of emotions pass until they’re ready to re-engage.

Before a child will listen to you, they need to feel heard. This simple shift of giving attention before demanding it dissolves resistance. When kids feel understood, they stop trying to push back.

Example:

Child: “I’m never playing with my brother again!”

Parent: “I’m listening. Tell me what’s going on.”

Now you’re uncovering the deeper hurt behind the anger, and that’s the part you can address to help repair both the relationship and the behavior.

Many meltdowns escalate because kids feel misunderstood or in conflict with the very person they need most. This phrase instantly shifts you from adversary to ally, lowering defenses and opening the door to problem-solving.

Example:

Child: “This homework is stupid! I’m not doing it.”

Parent: “I hear you. I’m on your side. Let’s find a way to make this easier.”

Knowing you’re there to help changes the tone entirely. They’ll be far more likely to meet you halfway.

Mistakes can trigger shame. But when kids hear this phrase, they learn that love isn’t conditional on performance or perfection.

Example:

Your child breaks a classmate’s project and calls you in tears.

Instead of lecturing, you say: “I’ve got you, no matter what. We’ll make it right together.”

That’s the difference between fear-based compliance and real accountability.  

I always tell parents that if their default is yelling or threatening, then no “magic phrase” will undo the deeper pattern. But when you regularly protect your child’s dignity, make them feel safe, and follow through on boundaries, listening becomes the natural outcome.

Reem Raouda is a leading voice in conscious parenting and the creator of FOUNDATIONS, a step-by-step guide that helps parents heal and become emotionally safe. She is widely recognized for her expertise in children’s emotional safety and for redefining what it means to raise emotionally healthy kids. Connect with her on Instagram.

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Some people seem to be effortlessly likable. It’s not because they’re always agreeable. It’s not because they go out of their way to compliment everyone. And it’s definitely not because they’re trying to be liked.

Here’s the rule they follow: They make others feel seen.

Whether it’s a colleague, client, barista, or neighbor, highly likable people consistently show genuine interest and curiosity in other people. They don’t throw around big gestures or declarations — they do it through small, everyday habits that signal warmth, attentiveness, and respect.

As a keynote speaker, LinkedIn Learning Instructor, and author of “Unforgettable Presence,” I’ve worked with ambitious professionals across Fortune 500 companies and startups, helping them build stronger relationships.

I often tell them that being likable matters. People want to work with people they genuinely like. But that doesn’t mean being fake or disingenuous, and it’s not some innate personality trait. Likability is a skill, and anyone can learn it.

Here are five habits of highly likable people: 

That project you mentioned last week? They follow up to see how it’s going. The iced matcha you always order? They remember it on a coffee run. Your kid’s soccer game? They ask how it went.

These are all subtle signs that they’re actually listening to you when you share about your life.

Remembering small details is one of the easiest ways to show someone you care. It says: “You matter enough for me to remember.”

Try this: After a meeting or casual chat, jot down one detail you learned about the other person. Maybe your coworker has an upcoming presentation to senior leadership or your friend despises mushrooms. Next time you see that coworker, ask how it went. Next time you order pizza with that friend, pick another topping. 

Their favorite phrase might be: “That was [X person]’s great idea.”

They spotlight teammates, friends, and collaborators without hesitation, especially in public. You’ll hear them say “Maria suggested…” more often than “I decided…”

Giving credit builds trust and loyalty. People want to work with, hang out with, and support those who elevate others.

Try this: In your next group setting, whether it’s an email, team meeting, or dinner conversation, give someone credit for their insight or contribution. It costs nothing and leaves a lasting impression.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a CEO or an intern. Everyone gets a reply.

That doesn’t mean they say yes to everything. But they treat every message as worthy of acknowledgment, even if it’s brief.

It signals respect. People remember how you make them feel, and being ignored never makes someone feel good.

Try this: Don’t ghost. If you need more time to reply thoughtfully, even a quick, “Thanks for this. I’ll take a look by Tuesday,” can go a long way toward building trust.

You’ll hear them say, “That’s on me,” or, “You’re right, I missed that.”

Instead of pretending they have all the answers, they own their mistakes — and invite others to do the same.

Admitting fault builds more trust than appearing perfect. Vulnerability makes you more relatable and credible.

Try this: Next time you’re tempted to get defensive, try saying: “You’re right, I should’ve handled that differently.” It opens the door for real connection and mutual respect.

Those two-minute hallway chats. The small talk before a meeting. The “What was the highlight of your weekend?” check-ins.

Highly likable people treat these interactions as meaningful, not optional. They’re present, even during quick exchanges.

These moments may feel small on their own, but they compound over time. They humanize you and help build stronger relationships.

Try this: The next time you catch yourself rushing through a conversation, pause, ask one more question, and listen closely to the answer. Being fully present leaves a lasting impact.

Lorraine K. Lee is an award-winning keynote speaker and CEO of RISE Learning Solutions. She’s also the best-selling author of “Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career,” which was named a must-read by the Next Big Idea Club. She teaches popular courses with LinkedIn Learning and Stanford Continuing Studies. Past clients include Zoom, Cisco, LinkedIn, ASICS, McKinsey & Company, and many others.

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