What If You're 'All Alone In Love'...In Your Marriage?
A few days ago, I was having a conversation with some folks about songs that should've been official singles yet never were. One of the ones that I shared was Mariah Carey's "All Alone in Love" (a song that she wrote when she was only 15, by the way). To me, it's a perfect way to intro this piece because I have had enough personal experiences and counseled enough people to know that it is very possible to be in a relationship with someone — and still feel quite alone in it. Not because your partner doesn't love you. Not because they're up to some totally f'ed up shenanigans. It's just…even though you signed up for a true and lasting partnership, somehow you now feel some of the very words that define what being alone can feel like: unattended, detached, unassisted, semi-compassionless and perhaps even abandoned on some levels.
As you can already tell, this isn't the kind of article that is for the masses. However, if you are married and this has already resonated with you on some level, before you consider an affair, separation or straight up filing for divorce, please ponder the following seven questions until you get the answers that you need. Then run them by your husband. And a reputable therapist/counselor/life coach if necessary to get back to what you signed up for — which definitely wasn't being alone…while you're married.
1.What’s Changed from When You Were Dating to Now?
When a lot of people reflect on the best times in their relationship, it's not uncommon for them to talk about when they were dating their significant other. That was back when things were fresh, new and exciting. It's also when both people tend to be far more proactive and intentional about their words and actions. That's why I personally recommend that if you're currently feeling alone in your relationship, pull out a journal and really think about what things were like back before you and yours even got engaged. What was he doing differently? Shoot, while you're at it, what were you doing differently?
The reason why both questions are pretty relevant is because, while a lot of wives have told me that her husband no longer "woos her" like he used to, if I then look at the husband, he will oftentimes say that he no longer feels inspired to because he feels totally taken for granted (check out "This Is How To Avoid Taking Your Spouse For Granted"). Yeah, that's the thing about marriage. Oftentimes, both people are feeling the same way at the same time about certain things, they just have a different perspective about it. I'll tap more into that in just a bit.
2.How Much Does Quality Time Matter to You?
You know something that is interesting to me about love languages? The top two that I have (words of affirmation and physical touch), they totally make sense to me. The other three — acts of service, quality time and gifts — I oftentimes have to mentally and emotionally extend myself to meet those needs in others; especially when it comes to quality time. The last boyfriend that I had was a quality time person. So is one of my closest girlfriends. And I'll be honest, sometimes I have to refrain from feeling like that "language" is a little on the needy side because you've gotta make time to honor quality time. While you can pick up a Hallmark card from the store and/or hug me, when it comes to my quality time folks, I've literally got to set time aside to pay attention to them — and only them. And, depending on what my time is looking like, that can be a bit of a challenge.
I'm single and I feel this way. I can only imagine how married folks (especially ones with small children) must feel; especially if they are a quality time kind of individual or they happen to be married to one. I do think this is a relative point to bring up, though, because if you happen to be a quality time type of person and your partner isn't and they aren't very sensitive about you being this way, that could be where the lines are getting crossed. They're not ignoring you; they simply don't need quality time to feel loved in the way that you do.
So yes, this is another relevant point to think about. If you currently feel alone in your marriage, could it be that your love language isn't being spoken very fluently? And if that is indeed the case, do you have some suggestions on how your partner can be more "vocal" in this way? Something that my ex needed was total eye contact with no distractions (including electronic ones like my phone notifications going off). My girlfriend likes to talk on the phone for at least an hour. Other examples of quality time include going out on dates and vacations, playing board and card games together, cooking as a couple, going for a walk, enjoying a bubble bath together — things that the two of you can do together and alone.
The reason why I provided some suggestions is because, when you're a quality time type of individual, it's pretty easy to feel alone in your relationship, even if you've got a pretty healthy relationship, including a sexual one (check out "Married Folks: Ever Wonder If Your Sex Life Is 'Normal'?"). The reason why I bring up sex is because, while your husband may be all good with physical intimacy being seen as quality time, since quality time is your love language, you probably need a lot more attention than that. And so, if he's not a quality time person, you may need to provide examples of how he can spend time with you — time that is outside of the bedroom (check out "15 Date Ideas Based On Your Love Language" and "Are You Ready To Apply Your Love Language To Your Sex Life?").
3.Are Your Expectations Realistic?
Not too long ago, I read a quote that has remained yelling in my head ever since I saw it. I don't know who to credit it to yet the quote simply says, "Relationships fail because people take their own insecurities and try and twist them into their partner's flaws." Pass the plate. Pass the freakin' plate. Yeah, a part of the reason why a lot of marriages struggle, if not flat-out fail, is because people go into them with super unrealistic expectations and sometimes they are based on their own insecurities.
For instance, I know a husband who's been miserable, pretty much for most of his marriage (and it's been well over 20 years at this point). One reason is because his wife is insecure. Another reason is because she doesn't really respect what he does for a living. While she enjoys the financial benefits that come from it, she didn't process what being married to someone in the music business requires — long hours, travel, engaging people of the opposite sex, weird working schedules, etc. So, when she decided to quit her own job (which suddenly freed up all kinds of time), she started "pulling on her husband" to make more time for her. Meanwhile, although he supported her decision to not work anymore, he was like, "You quit your job, I didn't. I've still got to focus on my other priorities."
Now she's constantly calling him, has a billion questions about where he's at and is talking about how lonely she feels when…is that really the case? Is she lonely or is she now bored and putting the pressure on her husband to compensate for the choices that she made and the insecurities that she has? And if it's the latter, how realistic is it for him to do so? Not just realistic but fair. Lawd, I can't tell y'all how many couples I've worked with where the quote that I shared at the top of this point rings loud and clear. While no one should feel abandoned or neglected in their marriage (more on what that truly means in a bit), it's also not a spouse's job to do for you what you should be doing for yourself. That wife needs to find a hobby, do some community work, get into some personal counseling — something. Because her husband isn't causing her to feel lonely; her own insecurities, combined with the fallout from her own decisions and then not choosing to replace what she lost with something else are her triggers. BIG DIFFERENCE.
4.Have Your Needs Been Articulated?
It was about a year ago when I wrote an article for this platform entitled, "So, Experts Have Something To Say About Your Intuition's Accuracy". Yeah, while I know that a lot of us — and by "us", I mean, women — think that our intuition is 100 percent accurate, research (and I) disagree. Yes, oftentimes, that "gut feeling" can be spot-on. At the same time, it can also be connected to what we wish was the case or worse, our own projections.
Where am I going with this? Since a lot of women think that their gut instinct never fails, this means that they oftentimes also think they know everything that their partner is thinking. Yet again, it's wise to remain in a state of humility and to ask questions in order to gain clarity because sometimes what you may think you know could be what you wish was going on in his head or what you are projecting from yourself and your own imagination onto him. And because it's really easy to get into this kind of headspace, it can also be easy to expect him to know what you are thinking too.
Listen, women claim to be mind-readers far more than men do (I hear it all of the time). It's important to keep all of this in mind as well because, if you already feeling lonely and then you assume that your man should know this, you're only going to make matters worse — especially for yourself. That said, a good man shouldn't be defined as someone who can constantly stay two steps ahead of you and your thoughts, wants and needs at all times (that too is pretty unrealistic).
No, a good man is someone who listens to his partner (check out "How You And Your Partner Can Listen To Each Other Better") and, once her needs are clearly articulated and expressed, he does what he can to accommodate them. If you're feeling alone in your marriage right now, have you told your husband? Or are you simply waiting for him to…catch on?
5.Does Your Husband Feel the Same Way?
Unless you're married to someone who is super selfish and/or disconnected within the dynamic (which does happen to some people and is another article for another time), chances are, if you're feeling somewhat alone, your man is too — even if he's simply noticing how your emotional state has shifted the dynamic of the relationship on some level.
For instance, one couple that I work with, they have been dealing with both of them feeling alone in their marriage. The wife feels like the husband doesn't set aside time to really listen to her on a daily basis which has caused her to build a bit of an emotional wall while they husband feels like the wife is shunning physical affection like kisses at the end of the day or cuddling at night. Until they shared all of this in a session with me, the wife thought her husband just didn't care about how she was feeling while he didn't feel like she would take his feelings about everything to heart either.
Y'all, in order to be together, both people have to be involved. Along these same lines, if one person feels alone in their marriage, it's not far-fetched to believe that the other partner is feeling like something is off, not right and/or missing too. My point here is, instead of pulling back even more from your husband, talking to everyone else but him about what's going on (or not going on) and/or finding yourself becoming more aloof by the day, how about simply telling your man that you miss him? Then explain why and hear him out after you finish. I've been doing this counseling thing for a hot minute now. And again, it's been rare when one spouse has felt distant or out of sync — pardon the pun — alone.
6.What’s Your Idea of “Togetherness”?
Togetherness isn't a word that comes up in everyday conversation. I still dig it, though, because it means "warm fellowship". In the context of this message, when something is warm, it's enthusiastic about something or one. Also, some synonyms for the word include benevolent, gentle, kind, doting and tender. Fellowship is all about companionship.
When two people decide to enter into a "until death parts us" type of union, a part of what they are signing up for is committing to a lifelong journey of togetherness. And yes, that requires effort — on both people's part. I mean, deciding to take an enthusiastic approach to your partner and your relationship requires you not getting so comfortable in the relationship that you become lazy. Then when you add onto that just how important it is to be gentle, doting and tender…yeah, marriage ain't for the nonchalant. Not. At. All.
This is why, something that I will sometimes do, is recommend that a couple put together an annual mission statement for their marriage — you know, something that can help both of them get clear and then remain focused on the vision for the union and the direction that they both would like for it to take. The reason why I think doing this annually is so important is because, well, think of where your mind was at this time last year and where you are now. A wise person once said, "People change and forget to tell each other." This is definitely the case in a lot of marriages.
Anyway, as you and yours are putting a mission statement together (no more than a paragraph or two is fine, by the way), make some space for togetherness. There is a bigger chance that you won't find yourself feeling alone in your relationship if you both make it a mission for that not to happen — to either one of you.
7.True Love Doesn’t Ignore Loneliness
The reason why I thought it was important to unpack this topic as much as possible (at least, as much as I could in just one article) is because, feeling alone in a marriage is oftentimes not a clear-cut problem with an immediate or oversimplified solution. You've got to factor in so many things in order to get down to the root. That said, as I bring this to a close, it's important that you hear me when I say that when you signed up to be married, lonely should not be a word to describe how you feel in your relationship.
And so, if you know that a lot of what you're going through is more about what you've got going on internally (because, as a man by the name of Jean-Paul Sartre once said, "If you're lonely when you're alone, you're in bad company."), still run it by your partner and then be open to seeing a therapist, counselor or life coach. Some of us have been battling with loneliness for a long time, thinking that marriage would "fix" it and yet, a wise person once said that marriage only magnifies what already exists, and they are right. On the other hand, if you know that it isn't about an internal void so much as a relational need, bring it to your partner, give him time (more than a week, please) to make some adjustments. If after a couple of months nothing has changed, encourage the both of you to see a professional. If he truly loves you, he's going to want to do all that he can to make you feel like he's really "in this" with you. If he's too self-consumed to meet your needs, well, counseling will reveal that too.
In the meantime, please hear me when I say that if you currently feel alone in your marriage 1) you aren't alone; many people have been or are where you are; 2) internalizing it only makes matters worse, and 3) more times than not, it's a season that will pass. Talk to your partner. Work together to come up with a way for you to feel more comforted and supported. Rinse and repeat. Commit to getting, even through this, together.
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Different puzzle pieces are creating bigger pictures these days. 2024 will mark a milestone on a few different levels, including the release of my third book next June (yay!).
I am also a Professional Certified Coach. My main mission for attaining that particular goal is to use my formal credentials to help people navigate through the sometimes tumultuous waters, both on and offline, when it comes to information about marriage, sex and relationships that is oftentimes misinformation (because "coach" is a word that gets thrown around a lot, oftentimes quite poorly).
I am also still super devoted to helping to bring life into this world as a doula, marriage life coaching will always be my first love (next to writing, of course), a platform that advocates for good Black men is currently in the works and my keystrokes continue to be devoted to HEALTHY over HAPPY in the areas of holistic intimacy, spiritual evolution, purpose manifestation and self-love...because maturity teaches that it's impossible to be happy all of the time when it comes to reaching goals yet healthy is a choice that can be made on a daily basis (amen?).
If you have any PERSONAL QUESTIONS (please do not contact me with any story pitches; that is an *editorial* need), feel free to reach out at missnosipho@gmail.com. A sistah will certainly do what she can. ;)
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
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Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy