When we find our perfect match, we want the love to last forever. Unfortunately, life isn’t all about romance (although we wish it were)! Work stress, family obligations, and other responsibilities sometimes mean romance takes a backseat, and we forget to give our relationship the attention it needs. However, if we let the romance slip away, we may find ourselves in a pretty unhappy situation! So, we are going to spill the beans on how to make a relationship last. Are you ready to rekindle your relationship, deepen the bond you have with your partner and find out how to make a relationship last a lifetime? If so, let’s get to it!
Continue to acknowledge your love
Relationship ups and downs are totally normal. Rom-coms always end with that perfect kiss and the big declaration of love, but do they ever show what happens after? Nope – and there is a reason for this. As we slow down after the honeymoon stage and move forward with our partner, our day-to-day lives aren’t really blockbuster material.
You may not feel as if Richard Curtis has written your script, but that doesn’t mean the love is not there. As you grow with your partner, it is vital to remind each other what is love from time to time. To make love last, make sure you acknowledge all the intimacy, passion and commitment in your relationship and ensure they are still there. Are you showing your commitment to your partner? Are you celebrating the intimacy you share together? Never take for granted the passion that your partner has for you.
Oh, and remember to tell your partner that you love them every once in a while. Simply saying these words helps you and your partner continue to deepen your connection.
Know your needs
Everyone has personal needs in a relationship. Your emotional needs, such as validation and security, must be met in order for your relationship to be strong. Reflect on your needs and ensure you communicate them with your partner.
And, of course, you need to consider your partner’s needs, too, even if they are a little bit different from yours! Perhaps your partner needs an evening alone every week to work on their model railway. You may not really feel the same, and you might find miniature trains pretty boring. But it’s essential to know that their needs are just as important as your own. Different strokes for different folks, right?
Sexual needs are just as important as emotional needs, too. If you feel that there is no chemistry in your relationship anymore, have an honest and open discussion with your partner.
Try new things together
Quality one-on-one time with your partner is essential in making your love last, and trying new things together boosts excitement and connection. However, we know it can be difficult to come up with new ideas for date nights and days out, so we want to give you a helping hand.
From romantic things to do in winter to summer date ideas, let’s explore the different seasons and look at ways you can keep love alive with your partner. By ensuring you and your partner are doing unique and fun activities throughout the season, you are able to avoid slipping into a boring relationship routine.
Spring
Ah, the world is waking up! Flowers are blooming, and the birds are chirping in the trees. What a perfect time for you and your partner to get romantic.
Here are our top picks of Easter date ideas you can try out to make your relationship last a lifetime:
- Plant some seeds
- Have a picnic
- Organize an Easter egg hunt
- Paint eggs together
- Organize a scavenger hunt
- Visit a petting zoo or farm
Summer
Cue John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John because summer nights are here! Summer is the perfect time to get all romantic with your partner, and there are so many cool things to do together.
Here are some fun things to do with your partner in the summer:
- Visit a carnival or fairground
- Visit a botanical garden
- Go on a bike ride
- Visit the park
- Take a road trip
- Watch the sunset
- Make cocktails together
- Go wild swimming
Fall
Some people love the cozy season, while others hate the dark nights. Wherever you sit on the fall-feelings spectrum, you can’t deny the romantic vibes of this time of year. It’s called cuffing season for a reason!
Here are our top picks for fall date ideas for you to get the most out of this season:
- Have a movie night
- Go fruit picking
- Check our festivals and events in your area
- Have a bonfire
- Visit a corn maze
- Paint portraits of each other
- Go on a cooking class together
- Try out new arts and crafts
Winter
The winter months can be challenging when it comes to romance. Of course, the festive season brings mistletoe and New Year’s Eve kisses, but the cold, dark days can mean we prefer to stay at home on the sofa rather than go out on dates.
But embracing the festivities can provide you and your partner with a lot of fun! Here are our favorite Christmas date ideas:
- Go caroling
- Decorate gingerbread houses
- Go on a Christmas lights tour of your neighborhood
- Make Christmas decorations
- Go sledding or ice skating
- Have a Christmas movie marathon
- Have a spa day
How to make a long-distance relationship last
If you are in a long-distance relationship, it may not be that easy to go on fun fall dates together and have spontaneous days out to keep the love alive. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make your relationship last! You just need to take a slightly different approach.
Communicate
Communication is vital in any relationship. However, for long-distance relationships, it is crucial to be aware of how you communicate with your partner. You aren’t sitting side by side when you discuss your emotional needs, so you must ensure your voice is heard.
Communicate your needs with your partner through a video or voice call. Things can get a little confusing over text, so keep the heavy stuff out of the message box! Oh, and communicate your communication needs, too! Do you want to have a phone call every day with them? Do you want them to text you in the mornings?
Prioritize your relationship
Your partner may be on a different continent, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t just as important as your friends and family you have around you. Ensure you are prioritizing time to talk to them and have virtual dates together to keep the romance alive.
Go on virtual dates
You may be envious of the couples you know going ice skating together during the festive season, but you can have just as much fun! Thanks to the internet, there are so many great virtual dates you can go on with your long-distance partner.
Here are some virtual date ideas for you to consider:
- Play an online game
- Take a virtual museum tour
- Start a digital scrapbook
- Do an online escape room
- Cook the same meal together
- Take an online class together
How to rekindle a relationship
Despite our best efforts, we can sometimes get to a place in our relationship where we just feel quite bored. This is pretty common. Things get in the way, and we simply have other priorities. But there are ways you can rekindle your relationship and bring that spark back!
Redo dates
Okay, we know that trying new things is helpful in making love last. But redoing your early dates together can actually relight that fire of romance and allow you to remember why you fell in love in the first place. Interestingly, a recent study found that romantic nostalgia boosts commitment and satisfaction in a relationship!
Perhaps you went to the bowling alley together for your very first date. Can you visit the same bowling alley again?
Kiss at the bus stop where you shared your first kiss. Dance at that crusty dive bar you visited on your second date (even though you swore you would never go back to it). By revisiting these places, you will feel that fuzzy excitement of new love again.
Perform romantic gestures
Little things go a long way when it comes to romance. Bringing flowers home or serving up their favorite meal with candles lit allows you to show them your love and rekindle the passion you once had.
Think about romantic gestures you used to do and try to incorporate them into your day-to-day life. Once you get back to into it, you will remember how good they made both of you feel!
Show them your gratitude
As you grow with your partner, you can sometimes take them for granted. They may bring you coffee in bed every morning. Or maybe they always get your favorite snacks in when you are feeling stressed.
Because they always do these things, you may forget to show them gratitude. However, showing gratitude means that your partner is feeling loved. Verbally acknowledge the good things they do for you, or write cute notes to show your love for them!
Keep your romance alive!
Love is super special, and it’s amazing when we finally find that one person we want to be with for the rest of our lives. However, love can sometimes take work! Thankfully, you now know what you can do to make a relationship last a lifetime.
We hope these ideas will help you keep the romance alive in your relationship. Good luck, and have fun!
