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Fairy tales and rom-coms would have us think that falling in love means finding your soulmate and living happily ever after, but, in reality, relationships take work. We often fall into ruts with our long-term partners when we let routine carry us along on autopilot for too long. Luckily, there are many things you can do to reconnect and make your bond even stronger. Click through this gallery for a list of fun activities you can try with your partner to strengthen your relationship.
If you and your partner don’t already carve out time for regular date nights, it’s an idea worth considering. Take an evening just for the two of you to do something fun, and connect.
Dinner and a movie is a winning combo, but you can also change it up and try something different. Trying a new activity together can create space for you to learn new things about each other and strengthen your relationship.
Perhaps you can take turns planning dates that are different from your go-to activities. Surprise your partner with karaoke, a picnic in the park, or a craft beer tasting, for instance.
Trying something new doesn’t have to mean spending more money. Plan an at-home spa day with DIY products, make a craft together, or go for a nature walk somewhere with beautiful views and a bottle of wine at the end!
Pack your bags and plan a romantic getaway, whether it’s for one night, a weekend, or a full vacation. Planning and getting excited are all part of the fun. Time away from your daily routines will also help you both recharge and reconnect.
If money and time are an issue, why not try a one-night excursion somewhere close to home? Get thrifty and search for last-minute hotel deals or homestays.
Take yourselves out into the wild by finding out where your closest nature reserve or national park is. Pack up and prepare to spend the day outdoors soaking in all the benefits of walking and spending time in nature!
On that note, engaging in physical activities is another great way to spend time together and connect. You’ll improve your health, get in better shape, and maybe even improve your sex life!
If you both have a goal of increasing your strength or fitness, you can help hold each other accountable by doing home workouts together. You can also try other physical activities around the house like playing fitness video games, gardening, or yoga.
Throw on your favorite tunes from when you first met, and get grooving in the kitchen! Even better, take your moves out on the town to a club or concert.
Trying a new hobby together or engaging in each other’s hobbies is a great way to connect. If you’re both interested in art, why not go on a street art tour or take a painting class together?
You can also use it as an opportunity to support or get to know each other better. For example, if one of you is interested in trying out storytelling or stand-up comedy, go to some live shows together. This demonstrates your care for them in multiple ways.
Collaborate over a delicious meal to enjoy together, perhaps trying out a new recipe and turning it into a romantic at-home date night. Depending on your schedules, you can try to do this weekly or monthly.
If you’re living together, you could choose a room to redecorate and make a project out of it. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing a ‘Queer Eye’ level transformation or just reorganizing a bit—the important thing is that you’re spending time together while you do it. You’ll share a sense of accomplishment at the end.
Getting active and trying out new hobbies are great ways to connect, but relaxing together is also a great option! Taking time to let go of stress and find peace together will inevitably benefit your relationship.
Pick a book you’re both interested in and either take turns reading aloud to each other or get two copies and simply read together. You can talk about the book over coffee or dinner.
Alternatively, choose a podcast or audiobook to listen to together. Snuggle up on the couch or in bed with blankets and hot drinks while you let yourselves unwind.
Whether it’s a video game, board game, or puzzle, playing games can often help us relieve stress. For couples, they give you something to engage with while you connect with each other. Ideally, pick something that will inspire laughter rather than squabbling!
Most of us spend a great deal of our downtime watching Netflix, but try to spend some time picking something you're both really excited to watch. Set yourselves up comfortably with snacks and mood lighting, put your phones away, and give it your full attention.
This intimate and relaxing activity is a great way to unwind and show affection and love to your partner. Set the scene by lighting candles and putting on some relaxing music. Take turns to give and receive, perhaps with a timer set so you can totally lose yourself in the experience without worrying about the time.
We sometimes take our partners for granted and get lost in the routine nature of our daily lives. Taking time to refocus on your relationship and its history can help reinforce the gratitude and appreciation you feel for each other and everything you’ve built.
Whether your photo history can be found on Google Photos, Facebook, or in a photo album, sit down together and go through them. Start with the earliest photos and work your way up to the most recent. You’ll doubtless find yourselves reminiscing fondly.
In this digital age, it can be a bit tricky to pull together all the photos we have on various devices, storage applications, and social media platforms, not to mention the print photos from earlier days! Assembling them into some kind of album or scrapbook (digital or physical) could be a fun and heartwarming project to do together.
If you and your partner are from different places, visiting your hometowns can be a great way to get to know each other better. Have them take you on a tour of all their old hangouts, and vice versa.
This will inevitably bring up embarrassing childhood stories and meaningful memories for you to share, allowing you to grow even closer.
Every day can be a celebration of your relationship if you look at it that way. Uplift each other by celebrating the small wins of your daily lives and commemorating the special times you’ve already shared.
See also: Cheap outdoor date ideas that will make you love being outside
Fun things couples can do to strengthen their bond
Have you tried some of those things?
LIFESTYLE Relationships
Fairy tales and rom-coms would have us think that falling in love means finding your soulmate and living happily ever after, but, in reality, relationships take work. We often fall into ruts with our long-term partners when we let routine carry us along on autopilot for too long. Luckily, there are many things you can do to reconnect and make your bond even stronger. Click through this gallery for a list of fun activities you can try with your partner to strengthen your relationship.