Where is the love?
You’ve tamed the laundry, hit a home run at work, and dished up a family dinner. Forget anything? Oh, right—your partner!
It’s easy to simply co-exist with the person next to you in bed. But a rise in "gray" divorce (couples over 50 calling it quits) suggests that neglecting your relationship is a bad idea.
Isn't it time to add a little love to your to-do list? Try these ideas.
1. Try something new together: Climbing out of a dating rut can be difficult. But couples who participate in exciting activities get a big boost in relationship satisfaction, according to a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. So grab your significant other and get ready for a good—but different—time.
2. Laugh it up: Crack up at a comedy club with your sweetie
3. Get comfy in the kitchen: Take a cooking class (bonus points for learning a foreign cuisine).
4. Hit the road: Rent a fun car—a Prius, a Volkswagen Beetle, a Smart Car, a Mustang—and go for a mini–road trip.
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More from Health.com:
10 Reasons You're Not Having Sex
Vacations That Will Bring You Closer
Why Sex Is Better After 50
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5. Gossip: It’s tempting—and often prudent—to keep couple conversations behind closed doors, but you may actually benefit from blabbing to a close friend.
“Many couples live very privately and discuss these issues with the shades down, but relationship issues like this can often benefit from hearing how people that you trust dealt with a similar situation," says Dr. Ken Robbins, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Whether it’s hearing how a friend dealt with her husband’s infidelity or other big hurdles, a little empathy can put things in perspective.
6. Tweak your diet: Eat up! Almonds, avocados, and arugula can boost your sex drive and improve fertility.
7. Be open about your spending: Nearly 40 percent of married people admit to lying to their spouse about a purchase, according to a 2004 poll, and money is the number-one reason couples fight.
Don’t fret if you’re a spendthrift and your partner pinches pennies. “It’s probably not a good thing to have the exact same philosophy about money,” says Robbins. You don't have to be a financial martyr, but don't hide your spending habits, either.
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