So you’ve been married for a while now. The wedding bells have stopped ringing, the honeymoon is a distant memory, and real life has settled in. Don’t get me wrong, you still love your spouse, but sometimes you miss the playfulness and passion you shared early on. You miss the romance in marriage.
As per a study by National Library Of Medicine, being in love seems to be of greater importance for the prognosis of the marriage than marital happiness and satisfaction. You find yourself wondering how to rekindle that spark and bring some magic back into your marriage.
The good news is, romance in marriage is absolutely possible. Get ready to rediscover the joy of romance with your one and only. It may take some effort, but reigniting that spark will be well worth it. Your marriage will be happier and stronger as a result.
Why Romance Matters in Marriage
Romance is the spice of life and marriage. While the day-to-day responsibilities of work, kids, and chores can easily take over, it’s important to make your relationship a priority. Why? Several reasons:
Romance reduces stress and boosts happiness.
Doing small things to show you care releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin that lower stress and anxiety. This boost in mood and intimacy strengthens your bond as a couple.
Romance leads to better communication.
Flirting, playfulness and quality time together create opportunities for deeper conversation. You’ll find it easier to share your feelings, hopes, and dreams, which builds understanding and brings you closer.
Romance improves satisfaction and commitment.
Feeling appreciated and desired by your partner leads to higher relationship satisfaction and a stronger desire to stay committed to the relationship for the long haul.
Romance enhances attraction and passion.
Flirting, touching, kissing, and sex stimulate arousal and attraction between partners. While passion inevitably fades over the years, romance and intimacy help rekindle the spark and make you fall in love all over again.
Romance may require effort, but the rewards are well worth it. Small gestures like holding hands, giving compliments, flirting or surprising your partner with a card or their favourite treat can make a big difference. Don’t let the busyness of life get in the way of nurturing your connection. Make romance a priority and see your marriage transform before your eyes.
Recommended Read: The Formula For A Happy Marriage
Romantic Gestures to Make Your Spouse Feel Cherished
Romantic gestures don’t have to be grand or expensive to make your spouse feel loved and cherished. Small acts of kindness and affection on a regular basis can rekindle the spark in your marriage.
Say “I love you” often
Tell your partner you love them at least once a day. Hearing those three little words can make a big difference. Say it before leaving for work, when going to bed at night or in a heartfelt card or text.
Give compliments
Offer sincere compliments and express appreciation for the little things your spouse does each day. Compliment their smile, laugh, humour or skills. Tell them why you find them attractive.
Do small favors
Help out without being asked by doing little chores like taking out the trash, walking the dog or running an errand. Make your spouse coffee or breakfast in bed. Give them a massage with essential oils after a long day. Your thoughtfulness will not go unnoticed.
Plan a date night
Make time for regular date nights, even if you’re tired or busy. Get dressed up, try a new restaurant, see a movie, go dancing or cook a meal at home together. Reconnecting through quality one-on-one time is essential for a healthy, long-term relationship.
With patience and effort, you can revive the romance in your marriage by making your spouse a priority again. Focus on intimacy, express your affection openly and often, laugh together and spice things up when you can. A few romantic gestures here and there can work wonders. Now get out there and sweep your partner off their feet!
Keeping Intimacy Alive in Marriage
Keeping the spark alive in your marriage requires effort and intention. Making intimacy a priority will help strengthen your connection and bring you closer together.
Express Appreciation Often
Tell your spouse how much they mean to you. Say “I love you” regularly, give hugs, hold hands, and kiss. Compliment them and express appreciation for the little things they do. Feeling cherished and valued is so important.
Make Time To Connect
It can be easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and drift apart. Set aside time each day just to talk with no distractions. Make eye contact, listen fully, and share details about your life, thoughts, and feelings. Plan regular date nights or weekend getaways together. Trying new experiences together is a great way to bond and create lasting memories.
Laugh Together
Don’t lose your sense of fun and adventure. Do things together that you both enjoy, like seeing a comedy show, watching a funny movie, playing a board game, or just joking around with each other. Laughter releases endorphins that improve your mood and strengthen your emotional intimacy.
Touch Often
Physical intimacy leads to emotional intimacy. Hold hands, give a massage, snuggle on the couch… any kind of physical touch will increase oxytocin, the “love hormone”, and bring you closer. Make physical intimacy a regular part of your relationship.
Keeping your marriage magical requires constant nurturing and renewal. Expressing your affection, making time to really connect, laughing together often, and engaging in frequent physical touch will fan the flames of passion and keep your relationship thriving for years to come. Focusing on intimacy and bonding with your spouse in these meaningful ways can help bring back the spark and make your marriage feel new again.
Making Time for Couple Bonding
Making time for romance and bonding as a couple is essential for a healthy, long-term relationship. Life gets busy, kids need attention, work never ends, and it’s easy to get caught up in daily demands and drift apart from your spouse. But your marriage deserves your time and focus. Set aside time each week that is just for the two of you to reconnect, laugh together, and rekindle your spark.
Plan Regular Date Nights
Try to schedule a date night at least once a month. Get dressed up, go out for dinner at your favourite restaurant, see a movie, and try a new activity together like dancing or cooking classes. The options are endless, but make it a priority. Turn off your phones and be fully present with each other. Date nights are a perfect opportunity to bond without distractions.
Try New Experiences Together
Sharing new adventures together releases dopamine in the brain that intensifies romantic feelings. Do an outdoor activity like hiking, biking or kayaking. Take a weekend trip to a place you’ve never visited. Step out of your routine and comfort zone – you’ll bond over navigating the new experience together.
Talk Openly and Honestly
Make time each day to really talk with your spouse without distractions. Discuss your hopes, dreams, fears and desires. Listen without judgment and be open to learning new things about them. Honest, meaningful communication is the foundation of a healthy relationship. Talking openly about your feelings will bring you closer together emotionally and physically.
Make couple bonding a priority, express your affection daily, try new adventures together and open the lines of communication. Your relationship will thrive, and your love and connection will grow deeper.
Reigniting Romance After Kids
Once the kids come along, it’s easy for romance to take a backseat. Late nights turn into early bedtimes, spontaneous dates become carefully coordinated babysitting schedules. But keeping the spark alive in your marriage is so important. Reigniting romance after kids may take some effort but will help ensure you and your spouse stay connected for the long haul.
Make time for regular dates. Even if it’s just once a month, hire a babysitter and head out for dinner, see a movie, go dancing, or whatever you enjoyed doing before the kids arrived. Talking, laughing and engaging in adult conversation will help you reconnect and remember why you fell in love.
Rekindle intimacy. When the kids are in bed, make the time to be together. Physical intimacy releases oxytocin, the “love hormone” that strengthens your bond.
Communicate openly and honestly. Discuss your hopes, dreams, fears and desires not just your to-do lists and the kids’ schedules. Really listen to understand how your partner feels and be open about your own feelings. Compromise when you disagree and express appreciation for the big and little things they do each day.
Plan a getaway. If possible, schedule a trip together without the kids. Enjoy some peace and relaxation, adventure and uninterrupted romance. A change of scenery and a break from routine responsibilities will help you refocus on each other.
Making your marriage a priority will benefit you both as individuals and as partners. While it may require effort and compromise, reigniting romance after kids will help ensure you maintain a loving, lasting relationship for years to come. Focusing on what brought you together in the first place will remind you why this person is worth fighting for, despite diapers and homework and curfews. Your marriage and your family will be stronger for it.
Conclusion
After years together, it can be easy to lose that spark of romance and adventure in your relationship. But the good news is, it’s never too late to reignite that flame and rediscover the magic. All it takes is making the effort to connect with your partner in meaningful ways each and every day.
Plan date nights, try new experiences together, and express your affection openly and often. Compliment them, flirt with them, appreciate them. Make intimacy a priority. Do small things to show you care. Laugh together, dream together, and support each other.
At the end of the day, romance isn’t about grand gestures, it’s about the little moments of warmth, joy and partnership that make marriage magical. So take that first step today – reach out, reconnect and start romancing your spouse all over again. Your relationship will be so much richer for it.