Spending time together as a couple away from other distractions is good for your relationship. Date nights can help you increase your intimacy, passion, and couple connection. When life gets hectic and work, children, and other commitments demand more of your time, you might be tempted to stop going on date nights. However, making a commitment with your spouse to go on regular date nights together can help keep your relationship strong.
Why Go On Dates
Committing to regular date nights can strengthen your relationship and can help deepen your emotional intimacy. Over time, it can be easy to fall into a routine in your daily life and your relationship. Work, kids, and social engagements can keep you quite busy. It might seem as though most of your conversations are about your schedules. While this can be common in relationships, you could begin to take your partner for granted. In order to keep your relationship strong, you need to spend time focusing on each other. When you agree to weekly date nights, you know you will have a set time to work on your marriage and communication, to keep your connection strong. Below are some date night ideas to get you started.
Establish Ground Rules
To make sure that your date night gets off to a good start, you will want to establish some ground rules. For instance, if most of your conversations revolve around your children, you can make a pact not to discuss the kids on your date. You could do this with any topic that you discuss often or that you fight about. This will force you to switch up the conversation. It will be helpful to decide who is going to plan the date, who will get the sitter, and who will make the reservations. Taking turns with these tasks is always a good option. You can establish rules around phone use, checking on the kids, and anything else that could interfere with the success of your date. Making these decisions upfront can help your date night run smoothly.
Keep It Simple
Your date night plans do not have to be elaborate. A picnic at the beach, a walk around the lake, or simply cooking a meal together can give you enough couple time to keep your connection strong. What you do together isn’t as important as your intention. Keep the focus on each other. Ask each other questions, and talk about your hopes, fears, and dreams. A simple date with your spouse can be quite magical and can help you maintain a loving relationship.
Go Out
Go out with your partner. Every now and then it’s nice to have a change of scenery. Plan a night out with your spouse. You can dress up and go to your favorite restaurant, go to a sporting event or concert, or visit a local museum. When you spend time with your partner doing things you love, it helps deepen your bond. It’s easier to take a break from your everyday worries and concerns and focus on each other when you plan a fun outing. Making an effort to go out together and do something you enjoy can help keep your relationship healthy.
Stay Home
While going out for date nights is important, staying home together can be just as beneficial. If you have a newborn, or time or financial constraints, you can have a date night at home. Put the kids to bed early or have a relative watch them and slow dance in the kitchen, watch a movie, or give your partner a massage. Talk to each other, and make sure to listen too. Who knows, you might even learn something new about your spouse. With a little effort, you can make your date night in just as enjoyable as your date night out.
Learn Something
Plan an educational date where you can both learn something. Learning something with your partner engages your brain in a different way that can be invigorating. You could take a cooking class, dance class, or a self-defense class together. Learning new things requires vulnerability. Being vulnerable with each other facilitates a deeper level of bonding. When you actively learn something new and fun, you can also feel closer to your partner. An engaging educational date can strengthen your connection as you stimulate your mind.
Try Something New
On your date night, get out of your comfort zone and try something new. Doing new things helps break the routine. This could be something as simple as trying a new restaurant, or something a little more daring like facing your fear of heights, with your partner by your side of course. You don’t want your date night to simply become another routine. When you are willing to switch things up and try something new, at least some of the time, your date nights will be more interesting and less predictable. If you try something new with your partner, you will most likely associate the challenge and fun you had with being with your partner. This can be helpful in any long term relationship.
Recreate Something Special
It is always good to try something new, but remembering a special time you experienced can also be a great way to reconnect. Recreating a special time in your past can help rekindle the positive emotions associated with that time. A little nostalgia can be quite romantic and good for your relationship. Recreating your first date or another special time can help you reminisce about the good you’ve experienced together. This enables you to feel those feelings all over again. Sharing these positive feelings again can enhance your bond.
These are just some of the ways you can use your date night to strengthen your relationship. If you are struggling to connect with your partner, couples counseling can help. Focusing on your relationship by making date night a priority can help keep your relationship strong and healthy.
