No matter how much you love your spouse there are days you might feel like you’re each other’s roommate or simply the parents of your children. Everyone can feel the mundaness of life no matter how much love is in the air and it can take a quick check in to notice that you have to make a constant effort if you want to maintain the magic. In the early days, it comes easy, because you’re still learning new things about each other every day. Later on, you have to work at it, and that’s perfectly healthy and normal.
Luckily, there’s plenty you can do to add a little spice to your relationship and what better time to invest in each other than now. Prioritizing your relationship is not only great for each other, it’s great for your kids to see that their parents love each other. What better example to them than their parents who are able to laugh together and who clearly respect one another. Below I’ve outlined some fun and simple ways to liven up your relationship again so hire a babysitter, call the grandparents- whatever you have to do to make some time for yourselves.
Five tips for spicing up your relationship
1. Go back to where it all began
Most couples have memories about specific places that they visited early on in their relationship, whether it’s where they met or whether it’s the first few places that they visited on dates. For me and my partner, we quite often go back to the town that we used to live in so we can revisit our old haunts, even if that just means ordering take out from one of the restaurants we used to love. When we’re unable to travel we go down memory lane by flipping through old photographs.
2. Recreate old photos
If you do revisit some of your old haunts, you should take the time to recreate some of your old photos while you’re there. It’s great to see what’s changed (and what hasn’t) as the years have passed. And the cheesy act of snapping a selfie in your old stomping grounds will make it hard not to giggle at how ridiculous some of your old habits were.
3. Take a trip
When traveling is back in full swing a trip is one of the best ways to connect. Whether going on a road trip near by or taking a couples cruise to remember, embarking on a trip together is a fantastic way to explore and to make a bunch of new memories. Sometimes getting out of town and changing your routine is all you need. My partner and I head out on a cruise every couple of years or so. Most cruises offer deals similar to frequent fliers where you receive special perks or discounts the more you cruise which is a great way to create a tradition and save some money. Or put your date night expenses on a credit card that earns you airline miles and then spend your points on trips together.
4. Take some classes
Couples who learn together stay together. From famed 80s movies, taking classes together might have meant going to pottery classes or taking ballroom dancing but there are so many fun options now. It’s super easy to sign up for lessons on sites like Skillshare or do a Airbnb experience in your city. So if you have a shared passion then it’s a great excuse for you to learn together. Better yet – take turns learning your partner’s passions. For example, my partner loves to cook and I love to paint. Last year we took a cooking class together and then the next month we took a painting class. It was a fun way to get out of our comfort zone and do something the other loved.
5. Spend some time apart
This might sound counterintuitive, but it’s also important to take the time to do things apart. If you’re constantly joined at the hip, you might end up resenting each other for silly little things that wouldn’t have been a problem if you just spent a little time on your own, following your own pursuits, passions and interests. So making time for yourself is a healthy way to exhibit self love while caring for one another as well. Offer to take the kids out of the house so the other can enjoy their alone time and then switch!
Conclusion
So if you’re looking for ways to rekindle the fun in your relationship, you now know the handy things we keep in our toolkits. The good news is that with just a little bit of spice, your relationship can quickly feel fun and energetic again, but with the added bonus of the trust and love that you’ve built up throughout the years.