Has your long-term relationship lost its spark?
Long-term relationships are a gift. It’s not easy for two people to come together and stay together. Humans don’t like change and being with the same person allows us to open up in ways that we can’t alone, or in a series of flings.
But the other side of being in a trust-based, long-term relationship is the potential to stagnate—you’re both so comfortable together you don’t even comb your hair anymore or go to the toilet with the bathroom door open.
To keep excitement in the relationship, you both have to work at it a bit. Try some of these tips to reignite your long-term relationship.
1. Experiment with doing novel things
Interpret this tip in any way you like – “novel” means something different for everyone. Novel things can be as simple as trying out a new restaurant or walking a new route to the store together. Doing yoga instead of watching the TV might be a new thing, or turning off the smart phones for a night and sitting outside as the stars come out.
What makes doing a new thing feel very alive and nourishing is bringing your whole self to the experience. If you set a date with your long-term partner and you two have a fight twenty minutes before setting out, leave the fight behind when you go. To really appreciate a new experience, and any other human being, you must get out of your head and let your heart lead.
2. Be sexually adventurous
The first year to year and a half of a monogamous relationship is the most exciting sexually. After that, the hormones calm down a bit—it’s just human physiology. If your long-term relationship is low in sexual energy, take steps to ramp it up. Contrary to popular belief, scheduling a time for sex actually works. For many people, being overworked and exhausted kills sexual spontaneity. Setting a time aside for intimacy, when you both you have some energy, is a way around this.
If you always have sex in the bedroom, go a month without having sex in bed. For some reason, just being in a different room or location can make things more interesting. Try some new techniques (it’s easy to learn with the Internet), and maybe buy a new toy.
3. Do something thrilling together
Sky diving, mountain biking, surfing, wave-boarding, riding a roller coaster, hiking the outback—any of these will get you out of a routine. If you have a board and a helmet, you can ride at a skate park. Many thrilling activities don’t cost much either. The adrenalin released through thrill seeking—especially with your partner—is an unusual feeling. It’s not the same as runner’s high (it’s actually better), and will help you both regard each other in a new light.
4. Doing something out of the comfort zone
For some folks, skydiving is easy but public speaking is terrifying. You know what your comfort zone is, as your partner knows theirs. If there is something that scares you both, wade in together. Take a public speaking course or a cooking class, or join a weekend volleyball league. Entering a new and slightly uncomfortable situation together has the potential to strengthen and invigorate the relationship. And you’ll come out stronger as individuals, too.
5. Work on a project together
If you own property with your partner, you might read that and think, “Please no, not another Saturday working on the house”—but your joint project doesn’t have to be boring, or yield some sort of financial gain. Going to the farmer’s market and picking out exotic vegetables to cook a completely new dish is a project. Walking around with your cameras taking street shots is another way to be creative in your time together.
And if you both do enjoy home improvement projects, congratulations, you’ll never run out of stuff to do. The hard part here can be accommodating two people’s visions, so set a plan before you get started. Some couples find it easier to have two small gardens, one for each person, rather than one larger patch.
6. Go traveling together in an unusual country
If you really need to shake up your routine, taking a trip to an unusual country is a good choice. However, you both must really want to go, and to spend time together, or else it’s going to be an expensive bad experience. While most of a trip is pleasurable—the lying on the beach and sipping cocktails part, for instance—some parts are stressful (the airport, the language barrier, the sunburns).
If you two decide to take a trip together, agree on a plan for handling the stress before you leave. And leave all relationship drama at home because why would you want to drag it along?
7. Have a regular date night
You probably used to do this in the beginning of your relationship all the time. You know – where you used to get dressed up and go out to dinner or an event and make each other feel special.
Well, a regular date night can help you reignite your relationship spark because it’s something you can look forward to each week or fortnight. You can take turns in choosing the location, activity, or event, or just tell your partner to get dressed and surprise them.
My bonus tip is to try and have sex before you go on the date. Many couples come home from a date night either tired, a little tipsy, or both. And neither is conducive to having great sex. When you have sex before you leave the house, you will feel recharged, connected, and you can just focus on having a fun night together.
With a regular date night, you’re making a special effort for your partner and for your relationship, and that’s a win-win in my book.
Do you need relationship help?
If you need relationship help, contact Clinton Power + Associates for a FREE 15-minute phone consultation to discuss your situation and find out how we can help. Call us now on 0412 241 410 or book your free phone consult online.
Clinton Power is a relationship counsellor and Gestalt therapist with over a decade of experience helping individuals and couples move out of relationship pain and create great relationships. Get Clinton’s FREE report: 10 Tips for Moving Out of Relationship Pain, by clicking the button below.
