Ideas to Keep the Romance in a Long-Term Relationship Alive

Recently, there seems to be a trend of completely putting off or getting rid of long-term relationships and marriages. I’m not saying that people can’t be happy while single. However, it seems a bit extreme to cast long-term relationships and marriages in a negative light all the time. People are social creatures, and we need to interact with others. Those interactions can include many types of relationships, such as family, friends, co-workers, pen pals, and casual acquaintances. That’s all fine and good.

Until the loneliness factor sets in. Loneliness won’t affect everyone, but some people need to have that romantic connection and prefer to share their life with someone. Once that romantic connection is finally found, the challenge is keeping it alive. As a veteran of a happy and healthy 10+ year relationship, I think I can give a few tips on how to keep those fires burning.

Learn Something New Together

My partner and I have been enjoying learning together for a while now. Both of us are interested in alternative lifestyles. Once we shared this, we spent weekends cruising the bookstore for information. You should see us in the car! We are giddy and talk non-stop about what we hope to find. We usually round the trip out with coffee and dinner.

You can go a step further and try taking a class together. It doesn’t have to be the same as our interests. Find some common ground. Are you both interested in cooking or photography? Share your passions with each other. Trust me, seeing your partner with a fire in their eyes will also put a fire somewhere else.

Spend Some Time Binging

I know the whole “Netflix and Chill” thing is played out. I prefer to drop the “chill” part unless I feel up to it. Simply cuddling and binge-watching something you both enjoy, is relaxing and enables you to spend time together. He and I have been re-watching South Park almost every night.

Another fun thing to do is take turns choosing something that your partner wouldn’t necessarily pick. For example, my partner enjoys watching true crime with me because he likes to see me “get all riled up.” He wouldn’t watch them on his own, though.

Try a Game Night

Game nights are a regular occurrence at my house because we’re all nerds. Some healthy competition could bring about the fires of romance. My hubs is a total “trash-talker” and gets competitive, while I’m more docile. You think this would lead to disaster, but his good-natured ribbing is so hilarious that I’m usually dying of laughter. The games are fun and can leave you pumped up for more adult activities later on.

These are just a few ideas to keep the flames of romance kindled. I’m not saying they will work for everyone, but you may be surprised if you try them. Maybe you and your partner can even develop some of your own.