It’s natural for your relationship to settle into a comfortable routine once the honeymoon phase passes, but getting stuck in a rut isn’t exactly the best thing in the long run. When everything starts falling into a boring pattern, mutual appreciation can decrease, and you sex life can suffer.
Find out how to get out of a relationship rut and inject a little unpredictable charm back into your love life. These simple tips can help you maintain the health of your relationship in the long run, since getting stuck in a rut can sometimes be a sign of the end.
1. Don’t Waste Time Playing the Blame Game
It doesn’t matter how or why you got to this point. If you’re gonna waste time assigning blame for how your relationship got stuck in a bad kind of routine, you’ll only create more emotional distance. Once you think that something should change, take charge and do something about it.
2. Make Your Date Nights Special
The best way to get out of a relationship rut is to spend more quality time together. Start by taking your date nights seriously. Instead of watching a movie at home, like you usually do, change things up and go out. Even if you stay in, you can still create a new experience by putting some more thought into the time you spend together.
3. Don’t Lose the “Me” Time
When you’re in a relationship, you’re half of a couple, but you should never forget that you’re also a whole person. You can’t have more interesting discussions with your partner if you don’t bring more to the table. Focus on your interests, hobbies, and spend more time with your friends.
4. Make Time for New Experiences and Activities
The most obvious answer to the question of how to get out of a relationship rut is to try new things. This can be anything from taking cooking or dance classes as a couple or going to museums and concerts. Even if your time is all accounted for, make an effort and spend a couple of hours with your partner in a new setting every weekend.
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5. Change Things Up in the Bedroom
Getting stuck in a rut usually also affects your love life, and that’s something you should always fight. Try a few new things, whether it’s toys or new positions or fantasies, if you want to keep things fresh. Even if both of you are completely satisfied with your boring love life, a little change from time to time can be even more fulfilling.
6. Travel on Weekends
Vacations are a great way to get out of a relationship rut, but when you can’t be away for more than a couple of days, make plans to travel on weekends. Simply changing the scenery can help a lot, and traveling by yourselves is important to give you some much needed bonding time in a new setting. Even a day trip can be useful to break the routine, so start planning your next getaway now.
7. Make Plans, But Leave Time for the Unexpected
Even if you like to plan everything, a surprise and the way you both deal with it, can help break the routine. Work on the way you handle things when your plans don’t always come through. Spending quality time together can be a great way to get out of a rut, even if it’s different than how you expected it.
8. Improve Your Communication
One way to get out of a relationship rut is to acknowledge and talk about it with your partner. If he’s on the same page, then you can both work together to bring a sense of excitement back. Working on your communication also means that you’ll be able to enjoy even the quiet and boring moments more.
9. Focus on the Positives
Even when you’re unhappy about how things are going, you should still take a little time to think about all the positive things in your relationship. While a boring routine can be harmful to a couple, it can also offer a sense of security, that’s very important if both of you have stressful jobs. Accept the positives and work towards spending more quality time together.
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10. Accept It and Make the Best Out of Special Moments
Sometimes, there’s no way to get out of a relationship rut. Whether it’s because of work, kids and other responsibilities, very little free time allows you to really connect. Focus on those times and appreciate every moment that’s extraordinary for the sake of your relationship.