I feel sad for so many people in my office because they are so busy and stressed that they don’t go out on dates or pause for even a few, short moments of connection. For years, I’ve been telling couples that they need to go out on regular, romantic dates to de-stress and get connected. I get a lot of questions about this. Typically, this one: “Why go out, if all we do is argue or talk about kids and money?” My short answer is: “Don’t talk about the stressful stuff on a date. Set an intention to be in an optimistic state, just like you set an intention to be calm in my office while we work through things.”

candle lit dinner with happy coupleRomantic dates with your sweetie are as important as calling your friends and family and spending quality time with them. You must nurture relationships for them to grow. When we do romantic things for our partner, early on in getting to know one another, we are trying to capture their attention (or capture them), letting them know they are important to us. Frequently, after we’ve succeeded, we slow down, or stop the momentum of romance. Why? The answer is scarcity. We put energy and focus into things we don’t have; scarcity drives us. Relationships are no different. When we are first getting to know someone, we find a lot to like about them. When we imagine not being with them or not having the feelings we have when in their presence, we feel the scarcity, so we pursue them. Once we have them in our lives, we no longer feel that scarcity and then we incorrectly assume that we no longer need to show how important they are (of course, they often become really important again when someone at their office starts to flirt with them).

We must continue to show interest in our partner. Not the type that asks how their day went, but the sweet, tender interest. Things like: candlelight dinners, running a bath for them, bringing home flowers, writing poetry, etc. The internet is full of ideas that are romantic. Just go searching, because it doesn’t matter what you do, but that you do something. It’s true that it’s the thought that counts here. Just show interest. It conveys love and nurturing and romantic intent. What captured our attention in the beginning was the experience of being special and pursued and this is what keeps things exciting and interesting in the long-term.

So, romance is just letting your partner know that they have been in your thoughts throughout the day. Making a sacred time for just the two of you ensures the importance of your relationship. Weekly dates can be like re-affirming your wedding vows.

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