How to Restart Your Relationship for a Fresh Outlook

Whether that’s a new Saturday morning hike tradition, a Sunday afternoon reading hour or starting a vegetable garden together in the backyard. Add one mutually fulfilling new jenga block to the life you’re building together—and commit to it with the same resolve you have for one another.

No frantic emails from your boss. No couples’ selfies for your Insta story. In our world of endless distraction, it’s often impossible to give your partner your undivided attention (looking at you, lady reading this on line for the ATM). The remedy? A true, weekend-long staycation with your laptops and phones off and tucked away.

Think of an early shared experience that meant a lot to you. Was it signing your first lease together? Celebrate by heading back to Ikea, buying each other inexpensive gifts and topping the day off with a Swedish meatball dinner. Whatever goofy relationship milestone sticks out in your mind, make it an unofficial holiday. After all, family means new traditions.

Don’t let the fact that you don’t have a ring on your finger yet lead to a Cold War. Hopes and dreams pertaining to kids, marriage, career and, blech, money can be terrifying as hell to broach, but they’re essential to running a well-oiled love machine. Sit down and have at it so you’re both on the same page moving forward.

One way to inject excitement into your social life? New pals with new jokes and new haunts and new ways of making you see the fun in your own partner. So go ahead and court your coworker with the wife you think is so cool…table for four, please.

Hire a cleaning lady so you can stop spending Saturday scrubbing your shower grout. Or sign up for a meal-prep kit to ease your Monday night shopping woes. If the daily grind has been the cause of discord, think about ways to alleviate the stress. Then budget for it and bite the bullet.

Perhaps the tantric position you heard about from your least inhibited friend? Or the steamy role-playing scenario you just can’t stop thinking about. So what if it doesn’t end up working for you both? Worst case scenario: You get a good laugh.