How to keep your long-term relationship fresh

15:17 19 January 2012

It use to be the seven year itch but studies have found that the three year itch has become a more fitting saying.

Three years is the average length of time it takes a couple to settle into a routine, take each other for granted and sometimes look for somebody else as they grow bored of the relationship.

Here are some tips on how to avoid your relationship feeling the itch by keeping your long-term relationship fresh.

1. Be intimate – No, not in the obvious way – all it takes is to kiss and cuddle more. Remember when you started out and you couldn’t put each other down, couldn’t stop cuddling and acted like a pair of loved up teenagers? Well, although it might be more comfortable to stick to your side of the sofa, don’t let it become routine. Snuggling up together combined with more kisses can make you feel not just physically closer but closer as a couple too.

2. Have date nights – If you’ve seen the movie Date Night you know the score, just don’t end up becoming a criminal. Take at least one night a week to devote all your time to each other. Vary it with trips to restaurants, the cinema, bowling, ice skating etc. It will give you both something to look forward to and will make you feel like you’re dating again. It’s also a great chance to glam up and show him how great you look whilst also being a great opportunity to take time out and catch up with each other.

3. Take a holiday- If youÂ’re not yet living together a great way to test the water is by taking a trip together. Being in one anotherÂ’s company for an entire week will show how strong you are as a couple. It will also give you the chance to have something to get excited about and look forward to as a couple.

4. Spend time apart – When trying to freshen up your relationship taking a little time apart seems like a strange thing to do. But as the old saying goes absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Time apart will remind you how much you mean to each other. You can get creative by leaving notes or sending romantic emails and when you’re reunited sparks will fly – there’ll also be plenty of fresh conversation.

5. Go for walks – Some couples get stuck in a rut of a daily routine which involves coming home from work, sitting on the sofa and watching TV with very little interaction. If you spend a couple of evenings a week going for a walk to nowhere in particular it will give you a chance to listen and talk to each other in a different environment, as well as getting some exercise.

6. Spend time with in-laws – This might not be everyone’s idea of fun but learning to love your partners family as your own can majorly improve your relationship. Seeing the home they grew up in and the people they grew up with can endear you to your partner a little more. Hearing tales about their childhood can help you feel like you’re still learning about them and will pull you closer together – if only in despair on the journey home.