Love is such a wonderful thing and if you’ve been in it long-term, your partner has probably also become your best friend. From eating to watching the latest show on Netflix, you guys do pretty much everything together. All of it is cute but let’s be honest, don’t you miss the time when you had just started out? You know, when you and your partner actually made an effort for each other.
After a certain amount of time, we tend to get too comfortable or lazy in our relationship. We stop doing the cute stuff for each other because now that we’re together, we assume that effort isn’t needed anymore. But the truth is that we need to make our partner feel special every day.
Hence, if you’ve been in a long term relationship and you want to keep the magic alive, here’s a list of things you should be doing:
1. Do the things you did in the beginning of the relationship
Remember when it all started? All couples start by doing cute things for each other. It could be going for a movie every Friday night or something as goofy as sending a meme to each other every day. But with time, we stop doing these cute things. To keep the relationship young, you don’t have to look too far. Just go back to all the things you used to do for each other and it will be all good.
2. Reserve at least one day in the month to go for a quiet dinner
As a relationship matures, the idea of dinner is reduced to ordering junk food from the nearest eatery while watching the rerun of a sitcom you both like. But you both should make an effort to get dressed for each other and go out for dinner to a nice place where you can have an actual conversation. This takes very little effort but it makes you feel more connected.
3. Try cooking together if you cannot go out
You guys don’t believe in dressing up on the weekends and spending too much on expensive dinners? That’s cool. But effort is still the key to keep the relationship going. Get in your comfy clothes, Google a recipe and get cooking. It may be a messy affair but it’ll turn out to be super fun. Eating piping hot, home-made dinner will do both your health and relationship great good.
4. Surprise them by sending across breakfast or lunch at office
The more we grow up, the farther we go away from the routine of having breakfast and lunch. If you’re both working professionals, it can be safely said that work is life and you don’t have time for meals. Hence, once in a while, make sure you order food online for your significant other and get it delivered straight to their office. It would actually be a lovely surprise and reminder that you care.
5. Make it a rule to spend at least one hour away from your phones when you’re together
In most cases, you can’t help but scroll through your social media feed while you’re with each other. But it kills any scope for conversation. To keep your relationship going, make sure you give all that technology a rest for at least an hour, if not more.
6. Watching shows together is fun but try talking, just like when you both had gotten to know each other
The beginning is all about talking about everything under the sun. From politics to childhood anecdotes, you guys used to share everything with each other, right? However, as time passes by, you share less of your stories with each other. Go back to talking just like that with your phone and laptops kept away. It can be as easy as that.
7. Make it a point to ask them how their day was
With just one question, you can turn their day around. On most days, we just want to be heard but as the relationship progresses, you stop asking the important questions that actually matter. Never let that happen. Ask your partner how their day went, what the highs and lows were and how you can make it better. It will keep you in touch with your partner’s life and isn’t that what relationships are all about?
8. Take a walk around the city at night
Walks are the best way to connect with someone. When was the last time both of you went for a walk to enjoy each other’s company and discover your city? It has probably been a while since you both just took a stroll at night, hunting down an ice cream van and talking about all your plans with each other. Hence, to build up some romance, take your partner out for a nice night walk and see the magic unfold yourself.
9. If you’re both even slightly adventurous, rent bicycles to explore the city
If you both like exercise, then make that a point of reconnection. Rent a bicycle and cycle around the city. Add some fun to your dynamic by playfully competing with each other and strike a conversation. It will be like reliving your childhood days but with your partner right by your side.
10. Make sure you take quick trips every 6 months
Life can get really monotonous and we need vacations, even if they’re super quick, to refresh ourselves. And is there anything better than taking some time off just to spend it all with your partner? Taking a break from your work life, you guys can sleep for a little longer, have all your meals together and go on your own little discovery adventures. This would be the best way to make memories and spend time with each other.
11. Keep trying new things in bed
Your relationship may get old but that doesn’t mean you need to stick to a certain sex routine. In fact, you need to introduce new things into your sex life now more than ever. You already have the advantage of knowing your partner’s body perfectly well. The challenge is to keep it all fresh by giving your partner sensations they never knew existed. Try role playing, submission, domination and a whole lot of other things. It’ll actually be a great idea to keep trying new things since you’re both now comfortable enough with each other’s bodies.
12. Sex isn’t just an activity. Try to extend the foreplay for just a little longer
This can turn your relationship around. As time goes by, sex becomes the secondary part of things. You indulge in a little quickie and once it’s over, you roll into each other and sleep. Which is very cute but that takes away from the sex quotient of your relationship. Come up with ways to make the foreplay last longer. Use ice cubes, chocolates and lubricants of all different flavours to keep up with the act of teasing.
13. Make a list of cool events in the city and attend your favourite one
The age of your relationship is inversely proportional to your laziness. You’ve both been doing the whole Netflix and chill routine for weeks at an end now and it might be comfortable, but is it exciting? To make sure you both spend more time with each other and make memories, ensure that you go out to events you both like. It could be wine tasting, laser tag or just a momo-eating competition. The idea is to make an evening out of an event in the city and come back home with loads of memories.
14. Enroll yourselves for a new activity
This will allow you both to spend time with each other. Now, deciding on something that is a common interest can be tough. But once done, be assured that you’re in for a ride. Not only will you learn a new skill, you will also get to spend time with your partner while doing it. Both of you will come out of it having learnt something and the bonus is that you can discuss about all that you’ve learnt with your special someone.
15. I swear by game evening to keep the magic alive
If you guys are absolutely lazy but still want to make an effort for each other, be assured that a game night will bring about a lot of fun. From Scrabble to Uno, you can choose anything. The bottom line is that you will get competitive, it may even lead to some fighting, but it will end up in a lot of laughter and making up. By the end of the night, you’ll realise that you can be an absolute kid only with your partner and no one would deal with your tantrums like they do.
