A date night doesn’t have to involve a ton of time, effort, planning or even money. Spruce up your romantic life and your relationship with these fun, easy-to-do activities:
1. GO ON YOUR FIRST DATE NIGHT … AGAIN
Couples who re-enact their first date, with as much detail as possible, bring back the same sweet (or smokin’) feelings they had at the beginning of their relationship. ‘By reliving your memories, your emotions go back in time,’ says Dr Guy Winch, author of Emotional First Aid (Plume). Hey, pizza and beer worked once, didn’t they?
2. TAKE TWO, AND WE’LL SEE YOU IN THE MORNING
If you’re feeling as though your relationship is tipping from comfy to too comfortable, Deidre Guillory of the blog WifeMomSuperwoman suggests throwing a few low-key date-night ideas into a jar whenever you come up with them. Should a few free hours present themselves, pick two and just do them – no overthinking! ‘Sometimes a random night of Chinese takeaways and a game of putt-putt is just what a marriage needs,’ she says.
3. MAKE IT A DOUBLE
The most counterintuitive thing your couple time needs: more people. Invite friends along on your date. Researchers at the University of Maryland in the US found that maintaining friendships with other couples solidifies your relationship with your partner and intensifies your attraction to each other.
4. WATCH AND LEARN
Dinner and a movie is a great date, especially if you time it right. Elly Klein, author of Men Are Like A Box Of Chocolates (Messenger Group), says having dinner after the movie means you’re guaranteed more exciting conversation topics than kids and bills. Plus, experts say that when couples discuss what they loved and hated about movies they saw together, they get more in tune with each other. Now just decide: are you a romcom or action kind of couple?
