Dating Advice: Is Your Relationship Stuck in the Blahs?

Do you despair that you and your partner have hit an emotional wall? Has your relationship slipped into a routine that is unexciting and mundane? Have you gotten stuck in a dating pattern of “not doing” by staying in every night and just watching TV?

There’s nothing wrong with spending time at home and relaxing, in fact that quality of closeness and privacy will set the foundation for your relationship. But if you just “hang out” night after night it’s a good chance that over time your connection with each other will become just as casual and dull.

Relationships need some kind of variety to thrive and grow deeper. A great way to get to know your man more intimately is by sharing experiences with him that challenge you both to break out of your comfort zones. The problem with being comfortable is that it lulls you into an acceptance of the status quo because it’s just so easy. Ask yourself:

• Do you always go to the same restaurants?
• Do you only stay in your neighborhood and shop where it’s familiar?
• Do you take trips together out of your area?
• Have you stopped getting cleaned up and “ready” when you see each other?

If any of these are familiar, it’s time to shake things up a bit and get moving so your relationship doesn’t die a slow death. Shared experiences will challenge you both. You’ll be forced to react in new ways, experience different emotions and be mentally stimulated. Your connection as a couple will deepen because you’ll be seeing each other with different eyes. Both your life and your relationship will stop feeling predicable and take on some needed “spice.”

You don’t have to climb a mountain together or sleep in a tent in the wild. You can start by taking a drive to a nearby town, finding a new restaurant on Google or going to play or concert. My husband and I took a cooking class together with 20 strangers. We had a great time experiencing what it was like to work with a team of four people to create a particularly difficult dish for all to share. We had never been on a team before, it was a new experience of us.

So, if you feel stuck in a routine and want your relationship to get to the next level, start making some moves to get you both “up and out.” It will not only make you closer, it will also make life much more fun and satisfying.