Do you and your significant other get enough quality time together? A British study revealed a third of couples spend just 30 minutes a day together or less, with 30% of participants reckoning their relationship was suffering from a lack of quality time together.
We’ve come up with some ways to help you find the time you need to spend more time with your partner, and give you some ideas on what you can do during your newfound hours together.
Plan your ‘together’ time
It may sound a bit robotic to schedule time with your partner into your diary, but if that’s what it takes to make sure you get quality time together, it’s worth it.
Sit down at the beginning of each week with your diaries and make your spare time match up as much as possible. Try and make the extra effort to schedule in a romantic getaway (even if it’s just for one night) at least once every few months.
Revive date night
At absolute minimum, bring back the revival of ‘date night’. One set night every week where you will do something special together. If you can’t afford to eat out for dinner, just go out for coffee or dessert afterwards instead. You and your partner could even share a dessert if you’re really short on cash.
Got kids and find it hard to get time alone? Treat them to one night a week where they get to watch a movie of their choice with a fun dinner in front of the television. This will give you and your partner at least an hour and a half to make dinner together and sit down to enjoy it – just the two of you (get yourselves something a little nicer than usual, like a choice cut of steak, light a candle for the centre of the table and it’ll be almost like a date out!).
You could also work a deal with another couple for them to babysit your kids one night a week so you can have your date night, then return the favour.
Do more activities together
If you both go to the gym, rather than going your separate ways when you’re through the gym door, why not do a cardio workout together or get a joint personal training session? This means no music earphones in your ears, talking and interacting during your exercise.
If you usually take turns walking the dog, try going together instead (no dog? borrow a friend or neighbours’ one, or just go on a walk together). You’ll both get to talk, get some exercise and some fresh air.
Think about activities that you’ll both enjoy and can do together – learn a new skill or language, find a free concert or event to attend, do something you would have done with friends when you were teenagers (mini golf? picnic? just go for a drive?), or start a new project around your house.
Don’t waste time with non-interactive activities
Blobbing together in front of the TV at the end of the day may feel like a satisfying activity after a hard day’s work, but you’ll spend more time getting to know the people on the television rather than the person sitting next to you.
Remember when families used to sit around the dinner table with the television off? That’s a good start. Get into the habit of making effort to cook dinner together – if you don’t know how to, even better, you can learn together. When you sit down to eat, you can talk about each other’s days and what’s coming up in your lives.
Image / FreeDigitalPhotos.net – photostock