Falling in love seems easy enough, but staying in love? That can take a lot more work than you realize. It’s not enough to be satisfied with falling asleep next to your partner or spending your weekends watching Netflix. You need to implement some habits of couples who stay in love to keep your heart game strong.
Those early days of your relationship are some of the best, right? You appreciate every gesture, so you tell your partner you love them every chance you get. You think they’re smoking hot, so you constantly touch them in public. You want to spend every moment together, so you put up with their TV shows just to be by their side. But once the relationship moves past the honeymoon phase, it’s easy to slip into a routine and forget those initial feelings. But channeling those emotions and implementing a few habits can rekindle that love and keep both of you head over heels for each other. Here are just a few habits from couples who stay in love no matter how long they’ve been together. Try adding a few to your relationship, and you’re sure to keep the flame going for years to come.
1 Spend Time Apart
Whether a couple is married, living together, or just in the early stages of a relationship, spending time apart is essential to staying in love. Not only does it give you a chance to really miss your partner, but it also gives you the freedom to do your thing with friends or tackle a Pinterest project.
2Hug Each Other Hello
Your skin actually has its own memory separate from your mind, and groups touches and sensations into good or bad categories. So what happens when you a hug your partner hello? Your skin remembers that as a good touch and can put both of you in a happy, loving mood.
3Check In During The Day
Even if you’ve already seen your partner’s Facebook status about their terrible day, send them a text to see how it’s going. Not only will your partner feel good knowing that they are on your mind, but they also have a chance to share their frustrations or joys about their day with you. It’s always nice to know someone’s concerned about how you’re feeling.
4 Spend Purposeful Time Together
It’s not always enough to just spend the evenings eating dinner and paying bills together. Make your time with your partner purposeful. Have a real conversation about something other than the work day, and make your time about quality, not quantity.
5Watch Each Other’s Television Shows
While my knowledge of football doesn’t extend beyond knowing which quarterback is married to a supermodel, I’ll still spend a Monday night cuddled up with my boyfriend on the couch. Likewise, he’s been known to kick back and yell at episodes of The Bachelor with me. It’s fine if you’re not crazy about each other’s television choices, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay in separate rooms to watch your shows.
6Turn Up the PDA
If you find yourself unable to keep your hands off of your partner, you’re already creating an excellent habit for a healthy, thriving relationship. For one thing, if you’re that crazy about your partner, you’re more than likely crazy in love with them, too. And those acts of affection let your partner know they are loved, and that you want the whole world to know it. So slide your hand in their back pocket, walk with their arm around your shoulders, and kiss them without hesitation.
7Pick Your Battles
Happy, loving couples don’t pick fights over who forgot to turn the dishwasher on last night. What’s the point? By letting the little things go, you can make sure that your relationship stays solid and happy.
8Show Appreciation
Sure, your partner washes the bed sheets every Monday as part of their routine, but it’s still worthwhile for you to thank them. You can also show appreciation in different ways, like picking up their favorite meal for dinner or changing one of your own annoying habits.
9Speak Your Partner’s Love Language
If you and your partner have different love languages, it may take some time for you to make it a habit to use their favorite with them, but the results? It’s important to show your partner love in a language they connect with, whether it’s physical touch or words of affirmation.
Images: 20th Century Fox; Giphy (9)
