Happy couples never stop dating, even after they say “I do.”
But life happens, you get busy, and it’s easy to forget to be intentional with pursuing our partner.
Below are three tips to help you take your spouse. You can even practice while you’re engaged! Give ‘em a try.
Tip #1: Schedule Your Dates
Life, work, friends… busyness is a regular part of marriage. Scheduling date nights gives you both something to look forward to and makes sure your date doesn’t get swept under the rug. Scheduling your date also gives you plenty of heads up to finish work tasks, plan something fun, and be fully present for the date.
Practice While Engaged: Get in the habit of scheduling date nights by doing it while you’re engaged! Dating can be pretty easy before you live together. Text your partner and set up a date for next week.
Tip #2: Get Out of Your Routine
Living together brings a lot of routine. You learn how to cohabitate with each other, you settle into a schedule, and you find yourself doing the same thing night after night. But before you know it, you’ve spent the last three months binge-watching The Office on Netflix and ordering take out as a regular “date night.” Oops. If you want to freshen things up, try a new restaurant, drive to a different town, or take a lunch date instead of a dinner date. Whatever you decide, getting out of your routine will help you date your spouse better.
Practice While Engaged: Used to going to the same pizza joint every Friday? Maybe you hike the same trail every weekend, or you play the same board game during dates. Try a new restaurant, take a new trail, or play a new game next date night.
Tip #3: Focus on Quality Time Over Quantity Time
When you’re busy, you may not have tons of time to devote to date night. Instead of worrying about how much time you’ll spend on your date, think about the quality of that time.Here’s what quality time might look like on a date:
- Stay off your phone
- Be an active listener
- Ask engaging questions
- Be fully present and engaged in whatever you’re doing
Practice While Engaged: Quantity time is a little easier when you’re engaged. Try to schedule a date that’s under an hour long and focus on quality time.
