When You Find Love
Avoiding the relationship-rut by engaging in new experiences
by Kaylynn GasparWhen you’ve been in a relationship for a long time, the way you spend time with your partner can become repetitive. While it’s important to establish a comfort level with the person you choose to be in a relationship with, it can unintentionally result in the couple neglecting their own individual interests. It’s important to have a variety of activities that the two of you can do as a couple. If you feel your relationship has entered a rut and you or your partner has neglected their personal interests, consider the following list of activities to make the time you spend with your partner more gratifying.
Investigate different places to travel
It would be a wonderful world if we all had the money to travel the globe with the person we love, but not many are that lucky! Watching documentaries that expose different areas of the world can be a good alternative. As a couple it is fun to have a list of places that you would both one day love to visit. Watching videos and researching these places allows you the chance to discover places you both appreciate and even give you a fun dream-goal to look forward to. Going for long drives and sight-seeing is also a great way to pass time together. It is important to explore other places in the world, so that you can fully appreciate the place you’re in. When you have a strong appreciation for your life, it will strengthen the longevity of your relationship because you will in turn value and appreciate your partner even more.
Check out each other’s interests
Even when a couple has things in common, there are usually things that one person in the relationship likes to do that the other does not necessarily enjoy. If there is something your partner wants to do that you have not done and/or don’t really like to do, try it anyways! Experimenting with different activities can result in positive experiences, especially when leaving your comfort zone. Make a list of activities, and try and knock each item off the list. At the end, you will have an idea of why your partner finds these activities fun, and it will give you something to talk about afterwards.
Take care of people or animals in need
Volunteering for a good cause is always a great way to spend a day with your partner. Taking part in nurturing activities as a couple is very rewarding, allowing you the opportunity to work together and help others. Volunteering at an old age home or at the humane society will enable you to witness the nurturing qualities of your partner and it’s very rewarding to help others as a team. This way, you can both appreciate how good it feels to help those in need. At the end of the day, you can go home feeling good about the difference you’ve made in the lives of others.
Cook meals together
Start out by brainstorming delicious foods that you both enjoy, and then set out to the store to pick up all the delicious items you have thought of. Browsing the aisles of a grocery store with your partner can be as fun as going home and cooking the food. Cooking delicious foods could be a series of trial and error initially, but it’s fun to learn the ins and outs of the task at hand. Purchasing groceries will cost less money than frequent restaurant outings, and the time spent will be more romantic because it’s been personalized.
Initiate physical intimacy by goofing around
A healthy relationship is sustained by lots of physical contact, whether that be in the form of romantic foreplay or innocent tickle-fights. Having a tickle-fight, for example, will stimulate the sensitive nerves in your body and enhance the intimacy shared when you cuddle afterwards. By having a tickle- fight, the laughing and screaming that will ensue will surely get you both smiling, and boost your heart rate.
Go on dates
It is very easy to fall out of the routine of going on dates with your partner once you become comfortable in your domestic living situation. It can be expensive to go to places and do things all the time, but setting aside money in your budget for romantic dates will prevent your relationship from entering a rut. Some great date ideas can include going on daytrips to amusement parks, museums, or even the zoo. Going to movies and eating at restaurants are very common dating destinations, and they are great ways to spend time with your partner in a public and social environment. Browsing the local library can be an excellent way to kill some time, and while you’re out and about with your lover, try taking photographs of interesting things. When you look back on the photographs afterward, you will be reminded of the laughter and special moments you shared that day.
Work out together
Exercise releases endorphins, which will make the two of you feel good naturally when you work out together. If having a gym membership at the same gym is out of the question, going for runs together is an inexpensive way to get some great exercise and those endorphins flowing. Working out together as a couple will likely make your partner more physically attractive to you, which will benefit your love life in multiple ways.
Expand your spiritual horizons
Many couples share the same religious affiliation, in which case it’s implied that they would attend their place of worship together. For couples who do not have a strong religious affinity, it can be very stimulating and knowledgeable to learn about various religions, not to mention rewarding. It’s important to establish core moral values as a couple to ensure long-term potential of the relationship. If it’s not within your comfort zone to attend spiritual activities, try to participate in a spiritual discussion held by a local church or community centre. There are many open discussions in the Toronto area that welcome everybody who is interested in listening to what is being said. Exploring your spirituality as a couple will get your brains thinking, and give you different topics to discuss that you may have previously neglected.
Remember, always maintain your personal interests throughout your relationship, even if they differ from the interests of your partner, and avoid a relationship rut by engaging in new and interesting experiences with your significant other.