Too many guys let fear control them during this stage. Don't be like them.
Preach! Never has a truer word been spoken on this website!!!!!
That fear is driven by ingrained behaviours, reinforced over time.
Because conflict and fear with wife make you feel uncomfortable and vulnerable, you avoid it at all costs. You have learned the quickest solution to relieve that fear - and inevitably that’s placating her, doing more dishes, telling her she looks amazing, cooking dinner, and being Mr super happy nice guy husband slave.
Ironically, being a doormat breaks your marriage and destroys your hopes of reconciliation - because while you see hope and happiness and return to normal in being Mr nice guy, she sees a weak, controllable, beta man who she is trying to get away from and who keeps hanging on and holding her back from her happiness with OM.
You need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Tell her one time to do her own dishes… she might not like it, she may shout/cry/argue/go berserk, and you will feel uncomfortable because there’s no peace.
But deep down, she’d actually respect you.
Women won’t stay with men long term that they don’t respect.
Anyway, enough about a cheat…. Well done on the GAL. How’s your exercise program going?
Have you set some personal goals?
How about gain 10 pounds muscle, or lose 10 pounds of fat, or learn to sing, join your local library… what about joining a hiking group, learn a new language….
The world’s your oyster Mike! Grab life by the horns. She can come along for the ride or not, but no point waiting to see what she decides.