If you’ve found yourself caught up in the whirlwinds of life and losing touch with your mate, you’re not alone. It’s easy to neglect the person you love most when work, family, and health can require so much of your attention. If you’re ready to rekindle the flame and reconnect in your relationship, take time out today and start with these six suggestions.
1. Share your knowledge
You are an individual. You have interests and hobbies outside of your relationship, but why not bring them into it as well? Start teaching your significant other about something you love. Photography, baking, painting, or fast cars – sharing your knowledge can help you find new activities to explore together.
2. Power down at bedtime
Gadgets have turned “pillow talk” into a thing of the past. Bring it back to your nightlife by keeping the TVs, smartphones, and laptops out of the bedroom and reconnect as you lie side-by-side. It’s amazing what a person can open up about in the dark!
3. Start recognizing (and appreciating) the things he/she does do
Too often we focus on what our S.O. is not doing. It’s easy to get carried away, get angry, and forget the good things. Try writing a list of things your loved does for you and your family, then choose one or two specific ones and let him/her know you appreciate them.
4. Establish “no phone” zones
Nothing kills a long-awaited night out (sans children) like a phone call, email, or text in the middle of dinner. If you’re really committed to focusing on each other, consider turning the phones off during your time together. If you need to be available in case of emergencies you can leave the phone on but out of sight, where you won’t be tempted to pick it up every time you see a new text alert.
5. Go out of your way to do something for him/her
If there’s something you can do to make your partner’s life a little easier today, go for it. Does the bathroom need to be cleaned? Is the car due for an oil change? Choose something your love would normally be in charge of and take care of it, giving them some extra time to relax…with you!
6. Play a game together
Taking a few minutes to play is a great way to reconnect, whether it’s a board game you both loved as a kid or a few rounds of poker. Outdoor games get you out of the house and enjoying nature together. Doing a puzzle may remind you how well you work together. Games that require less critical thinking will leave plenty of time for talking without the pressure of eye contact. Choose something you will both enjoy and play.
Kayla Lilly is a photographer, writer, wife, and mama making a house a home in eastern Idaho. She met her mister while working at an amusement park and married him a year later after deciding there was no way to live without him. The amusement has continued as they’ve added three kids and a passel of pets to their lives while finishing college and starting a photography business. Drawing inspiration from the whirlwinds of marriage, parenthood, and the media, Kayla blogs at www.utterlyinexperienced.blogspot.com, and spends the rest of her time chasing chickens, organizing junk drawers, diapering toddlers, and photographing everyone willing to step in front of her lens.
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