What To Do When You've Grown Apart: 5 Tips To Renew Your Love
Has your relationship lost its sizzle?
getty Growing apart can happen right before your very eyes while you wonder in amazement what happened. In this fast-paced world, it is easy to fall prey to a number of things that take you away from your relationship. Career, education, children, volunteer work, extended family, and religious activities are all vying for attention.
The fact of the matter is that your relationship needs time and attention to grow. A relationship left unattended will wither away. If your relationship is suffering from an emotionally distant partner, here are five tips to get you back on track.
1. Make your relationship a top priority.
In making your relationship a priority, you have to be intentional. Sure there are things that get in the way, but you have to create a space for your love for one another to grow. When a partner feels neglected, negativity rears its ugly head and begins to drain your love bank.
2. Spend quality time together.
Spending time together is the best way to become closer. Use the time you spend together to connect with each other. This is not the time to talk about the children, work or bills.
During the time you spend together, don't use it all on talking. Take walks together holding hands, snuggle up together and watch a movie. Play your favorite board or card game. This time is about bonding and reconnecting. Leave all the cares of the day behind and enjoy one another.
3. Share a hobby or interest.
Find something that the two of you are passionate about that you can participate in together. Do you love to cook? Perhaps you can take a cooking class or prepare meals together. Have you always talked about dancing but never got around to it?
Maybe you haven't discovered what that special thing is yet. Have a brainstorming session to come up with ideas of things you're both interested in.
4. Take a trip down memory lane.
Reminiscing about the good ol' days tend to bring back those loving feelings. Looking back reminds you of the things that brought you together in the first place; the love you shared that you were sure would last until the end of time.
Dust off those old photo albums and home movies. Create a couples' scrapbook together. Take some time to reflect on where you started from and how you can build on that original foundation.
5. Get to know each other all over again.
If you're growing apart, chances are that you have both pursued interests outside of one another. If that is the case, you must take the time to get to know each other again and stop being emotionally distant.
Schedule weekly lunch or dinner dates to share with one another what has been happening in your world. Try to find ways to get those separate worlds to merge together.
This is the time to talk about each other, your relationship, and your goals and dreams for the future. Ask each other meaningful questions like you did in the beginning. Take a real interest in one another.
Get involved in the activities your partner enjoys. You may find you like what the other is up to and that may become your shared interest.
LaTricia Smith is a certified relationship coach who specializes in helping singles and couples have successful, long-term relationships. She founded her own coaching practice, A Stronger Bond.