All relationships – whether a friendship, love or business – need to be maintained (read nurtured), like you would a computer or a car, to keep things fresh and exciting. Maintaining a relationship, particularly love, should never feel like “work,” but any relationship can be improved, tweaked, and maintained.
It’s important not to find yourselves in a rut. Do you ever find yourself having dinner at the same restaurant (but not to reminisce the past, but rather as a force of habit)? Or doing the same thing over and over again? This can be boring, but even worse is not doing anything and staying in all the time. The things you do don’t need to cost too much money either. A picnic in a nearby park, a trip to the zoo (my favourite), getting cultured at a museum or art gallery. Exercising releases endorphins and improves your mood, and allows you to bond with your partner while keeping your body and mind fresh and healthy. It could be as simple as a walk nearby holding hands, but there’s jogging, bushwalking, mountain climbing (or for those who don’t have a mountain nearby, indoor rock climbing), mixed sports… I could write pages and pages on potential dates and activities (and in fact there will be more on this in a later post).
Another way to keep the love flowing is to do shared activities. Something you both might like to do or something that gives your partner a greater appreciation for who you are, where your passions lie, what motivates you, and so on (without boring them to death, of course). This works both ways, too – ask your partner to involve you in something they’re passionate about and form a deeper bond. I always remember the great friendships I formed as a child, which almost always involved doing some kind of project together (building a treehouse, playing sport, playing a video game and killing the ‘boss,’ and even made-up activities exploring the world). Your partner should be your lover, as well as your best friend, so do things and explore the world with them.
What do you do to maintain your long-term relationship and keep your love fresh and exciting?
In the next post of Part 2: Keep Love, 10 Ways To Surprise Your Partner, I give a multitude of tips on how to surprise your partner with random nice things to keep the love burning.
Find Keep Love 