Couple Appreciation: Maintaining A Rock Solid Relationship

Couple Appreciation

Being a couple. I remember date night…That was before hockey and weekends at the rink. That was before school projects and helping out with math homework. That was before pandemic and social isolation. And that was before going to bed before 10:00 was a necessity. With today’s chaotic pace, it is easy to take your partner for granted.

National Couple Appreciation Month was founded to encourage couples to do something special to re-enforce and celebrate their relationship – to let their partners know that they are respected and desired.

First Love

When we first fall in love, everything is excitingly-new. But, as the novelty factor starts to wane, we settle into more of a routine. That’s when excitement can sometimes be replaced by boredom.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Research shows that couples can regain that excitement in their relationship by changing their routine and by trying something new together. Experiencing new things triggers the release of two brain chemicals, dopamine and norepinephrine — the same ones released when you’re newly in love,” explains Arthur Aron, PhD, social psychologist at Stony Brook University.

Simple gestures that show your appreciation can be even more meaningful during this time. They show how much you care.

Beverly’s Hot Tips for Celebrating National Couple Appreciation Month:

Start going on dates again. Once a month pick one night to celebrate each other.
Plan a road trip to nowhere. Go for a drive and take in the beauty of the world around.
Go for a walk and hold hands the entire time.
Cook a special dinner together just for the two of you.
Leave a quick note on the mirror, or beside their pillow.
Take a minute to think about how much more enjoyable they make your life, and then tell them.

Suggestions

These are my suggestions for couple appreciation, but I am sure that there are things that you did before routines took over that you would like to do again. Or there may be new things that you would like to do to show your appreciation to your partner.

So go ahead – what’s stopping you? (nothing should be stopping you!) Nothing can be more important then ensuring that your relationship stays rock solid.

If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!