With the current social climate, many people are finding themselves spending a lot more time inside. Even though some of your patience may be wearing thin if you’re in the house all day with your partner, I’ve put together a few fun things the two of you can do to reset and connect:
Talk about your Love Languages
And I don’t just mean physical intimacy. Yes, physical contact is an essential part of any relationship or expressing your love for one another. But when you’re together all day long, there are other ways of showing your affection and admiration for one another and that includes these four other love languages:
- Acts of Service (When your partner does task related items for you. This could be like cleaning out the garage, or putting the dishes away)
- Words of Affirmation (When your partner gives you compliments like ‘I love how creative you are!’ after you finish your stay at home painting)
- Quality Time (When you and your partner are present with one another spending time together and doing something you both enjoy. No, this does not include both of you working from home in the same room)
- Giving Gifts (When you gift your partner something. In times like these, bringing your partner home their favorite snack/treat from the grocery store goes a long way)
Discuss what your love languages are with your partner and reconnect with what both your needs and wants are. If physical contact is your primary love language, cuddle often, and curl up together and start your Netflix marathon. This contact can immediately spark feelings of love and togetherness.
However, if you’re in close quarters, it’s also important to understand when your partner needs their alone time. Give each other space and check in with one another on mental and physical state. We can be very good at hiding stress and worry but in times like these, check ins are a good way to connect and support one another.
Prepare and Cook a Really Good Meal
The act of cooking and cleaning dishes together helps build a feeling of teamwork. Eating together and sharing food, is a social building exercise that can allow people to trust each other more easily. Sharing meals is usually better when the television is turned off, and you’re engaged in conversation. You can learn more about each other; even if you’re a couple who has been together for years, there’s always something new to discuss.
Sharing Your Lunch Break Together
Many are going from working in offices to working from home. Although this isn’t the case for everyone, those working from home have to figure out a schedule. Going to work, provides a really nice balance of time you spend together but working from home changes that drastically. If there’s only one home office, and you both want to work the same hours, rotate who gets to use it and who works at the kitchen table. Discuss what each of you has going on certain days and if one of you has Zoom meetings in a row, perhaps it’s best they get the home office that day! Work out a schedule that works for both of you.
With similar schedules, you can set up when to eat lunch together. Take that much needed break from work by “snoozing” your Slack notifications and prepare a nice lunch together.
Tag Team that House Clean
By working together to clean, cook, take care of kids (if you have any), you’re building that same team feeling that you get from meal sharing. Make a pact not to pick at each other for how you clean or cook. Break up household weekend chores by splitting up the rooms – one of your cleans all the bathrooms while the other vacuums and mops the floors.
You can swap jobs, or show each other how you like the work done, but make sure to do it in an open non-patronizing way. The last thing you should want to do is pick at someone, or passive-aggressively reorganize the dishwasher because they don’t fill it how you like. You’re a team! If one of you is miserable, then you both will be.
Redecorate the Bedroom
Getting to stay home and spend more time together means that there is definitely more time for intimacy. Physical intimacy is a fantastic way to build a connection. Take time to get to know each other’s wants and needs, and also to relieve stress and produce endorphins while home together.
If you’ve been putting off redecorating your bedroom for awhile, now is the perfect time to make your bedroom a haven. Put a fresh coat of paint on the walls, reorganize the closet, and find curtains that block out the sun so you can sleep in together. And if you really want to treat one another, get a new eco-friendly mattress and really relax together.
Getting To Know Each Other (Again)
This is more for people who have been together for years, but newer relationships can also benefit from it! Go down memory lane and reminisce over your first date, your funniest moments, and most romantic nights.
Recreate some of these moments – flirt, make ‘date nights’ where you crack a bottle of wine and dress up for each other. Dance, be silly and let loose every once in a awhile. Just because you’re staying home doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourselves!
You’re in this together, make sure to take measures to keep everyone happy and work through any trouble that comes up as a team. Only by working side by side can you make sure your relationship is a happy and healthy one.
