33 Small, Nice Things To Do After A Big Fight

Maybe it was a three-hour screaming match. Maybe it was a 20-minute argument. Maybe it was one of those off-and-on fights that can last an entire weekend. Whatever the case, you had a big fight with your spouse. things were said. Anger erupted. Feelings were hurt. It happens. What’s most important after a big fight now are the steps you take to repair and reconnect.

Arguments happen. Agreeing on everything isn’t possible. And a marriage without arguments — big or small — is a marriage without productivity. There’s a ton of stuff to figure out when you’re raising kids and building to life together. Arguing shows that there’s stuff to do in a relationship and that both partners are, in their way, working toward a larger goal. No, it’s not ideal for discussions to spiral, and we must all learn ways to fight better and keep things from getting heated.

But it happens. And what you do after a big fight is as important as what you do — and don’t do — during a fight. It’s easy to float around in the aftermath of an argument and just wait for things to become normal again. Understanding when someone needs time or space is essential. But acting like nothing happened is the wrong approach. It’s important to take action so that you both can, eventually, get things back to normal.

So, what can be done? Here, in no particular order, are 33 small, nice things to do after a fight.

33 Things To Do After A Big Fight

1. Jot down something about how you feel. Anything. Put it in writing. The act of writing is meditative and helps you understand your thoughts better. If it’s something you want to share with your partner, do so because that’s something they can hold onto (and re-read). Even if it’s not, writing down everything helps you better sort through it.
2. Resolve It Quickly (If You Can) “Explain why you were/are angry, and talk about what you feel is needed to go forward with the issue and/or prevent further fights about it,” says Laura MacLeod, LSW. “Do this early. If you wake up and still feel so mad you don’t want to talk, say that. Acknowledge it and figure out when you can resolve it. Don’t let it fester.” But...
3. If they need space, give it to them. Everyone processes things differently.
4. Let them break the ice. Let them control the tone. If they don’t want to laugh about it, take their lead.
5. Clean your house. Top to freakin’ bottom. Don’t ask for credit. Don’t point out how spic and span the toilet is. Just do it to busy yourself productively.
6. Play with the kids. Turn all your attention to them. This should help you cool off (if you need it) and helps make you emotionally useful while you two are shoring things up.
7. Exercise, clean up, and take care of yourself. You two need to repair a rift. This starts with a bit of self-care for both of you.
8. Make up in front of the kids. Children learn by watching adults. When parents make up with each other after a fight, they should do so in front of their children to help them understand that even though people might fight and argue, it does not mean those relationships are irreparable.
9. Do something to make them laugh. Shared laughter is incredibly powerful because of the neuropeptides that are released when we smile and guffaw. When partners share laughter, it can ease tension and break down walls, making it easier for a couple to find their center.
10. Give them the dumbest card possible. There’s nothing more diffusing of any remaining tension than the cheesiest apology card on the greeting card rack. The sappier it is, the better.
11. Write a sincere love note. Tell them that even after an argument, you are still their partner and that you will never stop loving them. Even if they don’t admit it, they need to hear it, and you need to be reminded that’s the case.
12. Tell them that they were heard. Say those words. “I heard you.” They are uncommon and they are powerful. And mean them when you say them. Follow them up with a clear explanation of what you heard them say — even if it wasn’t exactly expressed in the best way.
13. If you’ve been putting off doing something boring/annoying because you don’t feel like it, now is the time to do it. Buckle down and install that damn smoke detector or fix the broken lock. It’s a small gesture that will be noticed.
14. Reflect on how your choices and actions may have affected the other person. Just take 20 minutes and replay the game tape.
15. Validate your partner. Find a moment to compliment them on something they did as a parent, a partner, a friend, an employee, or whatever. Be genuine and state the specifics. This helps close the rift.
16. After a cooling-off period, sit down together and come up with a few things you can do to not repeat the situation. Come to a joint conclusion. Is this sexy? Is it dramatic? No. But it works.
17. Turn on some music. Something you both like. It will help fill the silence a bit.
18. If you realize you were wrong, say so and own it. Admit you made a mistake, and just sit quietly and let them express how they feel.
19. If they want to talk about the fight — and you have both cooled down enough — listen. Really, truly listen. Let them tell you how they feel, without you having to justify your reactions or actions.
20. Suggest watching something you don’t want to watch and you’ve said you don’t want to watch. Watch it anyway.
21. Order the fast food you used to have together when you were dating. Consider it an olive branch, but with more saturated fat. Besides, fighting makes you hungry.
22. Is there something that they’ve been wanting to do together that you haven’t gotten around to scheduling (therapy? a vacation? dinner at a new restaurant?)? Make arrangements to do that thing.
23. Give them the gift of sleep. Let them sleep in on a weekend, take the kids out, and bring them back a croissant for them to eat — at 11. Make it a whole thing.
24. Take ownership of the things you said over anger. Explain that you lost your cool in the moment. Don’t retread over the things she said or place blame. Apologize for a specific outburst and move on.
25. If something made you incredibly angry during the fight, explain why it triggered you. Say “I felt upset because it felt like an uncalled for attack...” It’s important to understand what mechanisms are at work and they probably didn’t say it to piss you off intentionally.
26. Don’t post about your fight on social media. Just don’t.
27. Avoid giving them the cold shoulder. This behavior, as known as “stonewalling” in marriage counselor-speak, can be quite harmful. If you need more time to process the argument, let them know. Say, “I’m not ready to talk just yet.”
28. Mind Your Pronouns That is, say “I”, not “You” when you’re discussing the issue again. This simple pronoun flip can go a long way towards making a relationship squabble go down a lot easier. “There is much less cause for disagreement when you are simply stating your feelings,” says Jasmin Terrany, LMHC. Additionally, speaking this way will make your intentions much clearer upfront and let your partner know that you’re not just on the attack. “We tend to say things like, ‘you made me mad,’ where we use ‘you’ statements,” says Celeste Viciere, a mental health clinician. “When we frame statements in this way, our partner may not really hear us.”
29. If you want to apologize, don’t just say “I’m sorry.” This alone is hollow. Instead, explain that you understand their specific point about X and Y and that you took things too far. Or say that you’re sorry for a specific act. Otherwise, it’s useless.
30. Much like the blanket “I’m sorry,” avoid saying that you didn’t mean it. This doesn’t do anything. You may not have meant them, but words were said. You can’t take them back. You can, however, apologize for saying specific things and explain to them that you understand why they were so hurtful. Taking ownership helps.
31. Forgive yourself, and them. We all make mistakes. Acknowledging that you made an error — and forming habits that will work to ensure it doesn’t go this far again — is important. The only way to truly recover from a fight is to learn from it.
32. Speak to their love language. Do they appreciate acts of service? Affection? Quality time? Do something that appeals to that core instinct in them.
33. Learn from the incident, do the work, and be better for it.