Katharina Buczek
Does your boyfriend or girlfriend bring you a cup of coffee in bed every morning? Do they walk your pet when they know you are getting ready for work, cook dinner, or do the dishes because they know you hate it?
When couples fall into these routines, certain tasks or habits may become “expected” and feel like a “given.” But, by completing certain responsibilities for you, your partner still shows love via acts of service. And you can seriously boost romance and feelings of love by sharing your appreciation for their efforts.
Simply start by saying “thank you” more and voicing how much those “little things” make your day better. You can even throw in a few more “little things” of your own to show your partner how much you care through actions instead of words.
When life gets busy, gratitude can get lost in the shuffle. So, try to remember that you are a team, and focusing on how your partner makes your life better is key to staying in love.
3. Step Out Of Your Routine
When you first start dating someone, every single excursion you participate in together is a new experience. Even if you had gone hiking at a certain spot before or visited Target a thousand times, doing so with your new partner was different– simply because you were together.
Along the way, novel conversations and realizations also probably bloomed. Maybe you found a new lookout spot along your hike or learned about your partner’s love of the outdoors. While in Target, you might have figured out your partner’s favorite scent while browsing the candle aisle or realized they hate broccoli while in the produce section.
As you continue navigating life and get deeper into your relationship, though, it may feel like these “novel” experiences are a thing of the past.
Maybe you now go on the same hike every weekend, or visiting Target has become an “every Monday” thing. So, the conversations and connections you previously forged in these environments feel exhausted.
That’s why making a commitment to trying new things and stepping outside of your comfort zone is key for keeping the spark alive in relationships.
Life does not have to be predictable or bland after couples find their habits and routines. Instead, by throwing in new adventures every once in a while, the conversations and feelings of connection will only grow– giving you new things to talk about during your weekly grocery trip or ideas for trips to plan while taking hikes.
