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Spring is a great time to revitalize a lot of things in your life as the weather warms, flowers bloom, and you just feel like doing more outside while enjoying everything around you. If you like the mental clarity and sense of organization you get when you spring clean your house, think about a spring clean with your relationship to keep it healthy.
This is a great time to sit down with your partner to change things up for the better. Don’t let old, unhealthy habits continue to permeate your relationship.
Why you should spring clean your relationship
The longer you are in a relationship, the easier it is to fall into the same mundane routines. This can lead to feelings that the “spark” is gone. While you may or may not argue a lot, you may feel more distance between you and your partner as each carries on with their daily routine and their “half” of the relationship.
If boredom dominates your life, you may be in a stale relationship in need of something new and fresh. It helps bring a couple back together rather than let emotional distancing continue.
“Springtime is a great time to freshen up some relationship skills — love is in the air, as they say!" psychologist Amy W. Stoeber told Mom.com.
Here are some tips for bringing some fresh spring air into your relationship:
1. Date your partner. Stoeber also offered this great tip: “Couples can rekindle passion by inviting each other on dates and trying to connect in meaningful ways.” By simply setting time aside for an official date, couples can put new positive energy into a relationship.
Tips on how to start, and what you should do
Getting creative, even with small things can help couples rebuild the positive aspects of their relationship that they miss.
2. Plan a vacation together. Take some time to think about your dream vacation and make an effort to plan it together. You may need to plan two vacations — one for you and one for your partner. Then see how you can make them into one big lifetime adventure together.
3. Take a class. Sign up for a cooking, sports, or home improvement class. Even a CPR class will get the two of you out of the house together doing something new. It sparks conversations and gives you both a chance to be vulnerable while learning something new.
4. Make it a lazy Saturday in bed. Weekends are often busy times with couples trying to catch up on household chores and prepare for the upcoming week. Make it a point to take a lazy day to lounge around the house or simply sit in bed with the paper or your favorite books.
5. Play 20 questions. Pretend you are going to be a contestant on the old classic game show The Dating Game and answer the most basic questions about your partner. Do you really know what his favorite movie is? Couples are often surprised about what they do and don’t know about the love of their life.
6. Revisit where you met. Love was in the air the day you met. Go back to that cafe, park, or hiking spot and spend some time there revisiting the day you first started talking. This sparks all the feels about how your love started — maybe in spite of your first impression, which can be fun to reminisce about.
7. Plan a different type of activity. Go do something together than you wouldn’t normally do. This could be going to a local farm or attending a play. Choose an activity that isn’t on your normal list. New and different things spark a conversation that helps open up all channels of communication again.
Don’t stop with spring cleaning
Sending a spark back into your relationship is great. But don’t stop there. Make that relationship spring cleaning last throughout the year by making some commitments to doing more regularly.
8. Plan weekly lunch dates. Don’t rely on weekends to get everything done and keep your relationship healthy. A weekly lunch date can help reduce the stress of work and give you something to look forward to during the day in the office.
9. Make every day special. Take the time to do special things on a regular basis for your partner. Put a love note in his pocket for him to find later in the day at work, reminding him of your feelings for him. Add candles to the dinner table to inspire some romance in the evening. If the kids cramp your romantic style, wait until they go to bed and have a romantic dessert night.
10. Have real check-ins. Asking your partner direct questions about their feelings and anything that might be a growing animosity opens the door to clear the air of the little things that kill relationships over time. Be prepared to let go of the past and work through issues that may have been looming.
11. Show appreciation for the little things. It’s normal for two people in a relationship to break up chores in certain ways. If your husband is mowing the lawn, take him a cold drink to break up the chore and show him that you appreciate the things he does.
The goal is spending quality time together without worrying about chores and must-dos.
"Find out what your spouse is in to, and do that with him even if it's not really your thing," Nebraska mom Melissa Vodehnal told Mom.com. "Then don't be afraid to ask him to do things you enjoy too." This helps the two of you be more available to each other. Don’t forget that you can spring clean your relationship at any time of the year!
