In a Rut? 5 Ways to Breathe New Life in Your Relationship

Nobody’s perfect. Even the happiest unions can become a little humdrum at times. The important thing is that you recognize it and want things to change. The next step? Doing something about it.

Here are 5 ways to make life a little more fun for the two of you:

Stop working so much. It’s kind of hard to maintain a healthy relationship if you’re always at work. Do your best to put your relationship as a priority. It helps to remember that people in happy relationships tend to be happier at work, soooo….take care of your relationship and you might find your job becoming a little bit more bearable.
Hammer out a list of things that are bugging you. It’s amazing how simple this is, but it really works. When you’re stressed about something, writing it out helps to clarify your thoughts and feelings. Rather than running relationship problems around in your head over and over, get them down on paper. Then, write out a few quick solutions. You’ll be surprised at how quickly your mind clears.

Be more consistent with your date nights. So, maybe you can’t do a weekly date night. How about just setting aside a few hours every Friday night just for the two of you? Even if you don’t go anywhere, you will still have that weekly time to look forward to. Watch a movie together, go for a walk, sit outside by the fire pit and talk. A simple and regular routine will help pull you out of the weekly “we never do anything fun together” rut.
Try to spend a few minutes together every day. Re-connect on a regular basis when the kids are asleep. READ: Uninterrupted time! Hubby and I like to talk about how our day went, and sometimes ask each others’ advice on a decision we need to make. Our kids regularly test us on bedtime, but we send them back upstairs and say “It’s Mom and Dad’s time now.”
Write a gratitude list about your spouse. I remember reading one time that a couple was about to divorce and they did this. After writing all the things down that they were grateful about each other, they ended up realizing things weren’t as bad as they thought they were. Give it a try. Even just writing down three things might help change your outlook.