Small, sweet and realistic relationship rituals
Whether you’re newly moved-in together or have been married for years, it can be hard to maintain a consistent emotional bond in your day-to-day life, especially if you have differing work schedules or kids that need taking care of. The days can become a thing you just try to get through before flopping exhaustedly into bed at night, and your significant other can become a “roommate with a ring.” You might think that you need some kind of massive gesture to demonstrate your emotional bond, like being whisked away on a tropical vacation, and while that does sound good, there’s plenty of small and simple – but no less important – ways to maintain your emotional bond with your significant other and establish “couple rituals” that will help your love for each other continue to flourish rather than stagnate.
What you can do
Even if you have a hectic schedule, you know what time you need to be up by in the morning. Set your alarm for five minutes before that, so that you can wake up together and spend some time being intimate before you have to start the day. This doesn’t have to mean sex, but just being close and cuddly with each other for a few minutes in the morning can set the stage for a good day and take some of the grump out of your morning. If you have different work schedules and get up at different times, write little messages to each other. It can be on a board on the fridge or post-it notes, just sweet things so you know that even if you’re apart, you’re thinking about each other as you go about your day. At the end of the day, before your head hits the pillow, try to say one thing you love about each other, just to reaffirm your feelings. One of the most important things you can do is just check in with each other throughout the day. It can be a short message asking how their day is going or if they want to do something special for dinner to something as short and sweet as a heart emoji. It sounds like such a small thing but these little rituals can make a world of difference when it comes to how connected you feel to your partner.
Final word
Your busy schedules might not give you time for a whirlwind romantic vacation, but there’s always time for these relationship rituals that keep you emotionally bonded and in communication with the person you love. And if you ever need extra support, you can call marriage and family therapist Susan Block at 954-675-1936.