Married couples, or those in long-term relationships, tend to settle into a comfortable rhythm. Your typical Friday night might be relaxing together after a stressful week with a full Netflix queue and a glass of wine or a beer. Don’t get us wrong, sometimes that is exactly what you need and is a fun way to spend time together. However, if this is all you do when it comes to “dating” as a couple, things are likely to get boring and stale. Often, we feel that making time for a date night, especially if children are involved in the relationship, is a luxury that we can’t afford whether it’s financially or when it comes to sparing time. Resveralife wants you to think of date night as a necessity, not a luxury. Making time for each other isn’t just fun, it actually strengthens your relationship.
Reconnecting
With demanding work schedules, social obligations and caring for kids, it’s easy to coast through each day without really taking the time to be with your partner. When you set aside a specific time for a date night, you are being intentional about spending time with your loved one as a couple. You don’t have to plan a fancy five-course dinner date, unless that’s what you want, to be able to really reconnect with your significant other. Take a picnic to the park, learn how to cook a new dish by taking a cooking class together or simply grab a drink together. The activity that you choose for your date night is less about the activity and more about the mindset you approach it with. Find something that you will both look forward to doing and approach it with the mindset that you are doing something together, as a couple, not just as roommates or parents. This helps remind you reconnect with one another in a way that is far more intimate than rehashing your day at the dinner table.
Romancing
Along with reconnecting with each other, it is important to keep the romance alive in a relationship. This can be hard to do after an exhausting day at work or running necessary errands on a weekend. Scheduling a date night gives you the chance to make each other feel special and wanted. A date night helps remind you of the time you spent together when you were first getting to know each other which can lead to bringing back some of the excitement and romance of your courtship. To make a date night even more romantic or special, dress up a bit. You don’t have to go all out, unless you want to, but taking a bit of time to primp signifies that this evening is different than just heading out for a quick bite to eat; it’s about being together as a couple and creating a closer, more romantic feeling between the two of you.
Relaxing
You spend your days constantly moving from one responsibility or task to the next. You are in a neverending state of doing. When you make time for a date night, you are choosing to stop “doing” for a bit and just spend some time “being.” A date night does not come with a to-do list and it should have only one real objective: to spend time being a couple. Taking the time to really listen to one another or really talk, not just in passing, gives you both an opportunity to feel heard, cared about and more relaxed.
It’s true, scheduling a date night can be difficult, but it really is important to your relationship. A special night that consists only of the two of you helps remind you why you fell in love with the other person in the first place. Ideally, you would have a date night every week, but we know that isn’t always a realistic possibility. Start by scheduling at least one date night a month to invest some time into each other and your relationship.
