How to Keep Your Relationship Exciting

Simple First-Date Rules to Spice Up Your Love Life

May 8, 2009

The secret to maintaining a healthy, happy, and exciting relationship is simple: treat each date like it's your first.

Whether you've been with your partner for one year or ten, every day can feel new and exciting. These easy and effective tips will bring the spice back into your love life.

Talk About Your Day

According to Lori H. Gordon of Psychology Today, many relationships go awry due to hurt feelings. Couples experience disappointment because of poor communication and misunderstandings. Take some time every day to share thoughts and feelings. Tuning into each others lives is an effective way to create intimacy in a relationship.

Glam Up

Ditch those comfy sweats and dig up that hot number in the back of your closet. According to Dr. Benjamin Hayden at the Centre for Neuroeconomic Studies at Duke University School of Medicine, men are more likely to be stimulated by visual cues than women are. However, a 2006 Brain Research study conducted by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that women responded as strong as men to visual stimuli. It's fair to say though that looking good for the one you love can never be a bad thing. Go ahead and channel your glamorous and confident self.

Be Open to New Experiences

Relationships are constantly evolving, so it's important to change with them. Whether it's a Kama Sutra position in bed or a weekend vacation, a new experience together will breathe life into the relationship. Share a list of activities that you want to try together and be sure to schedule a day and time too. This is a great opportunity to get creative!

The Power of Touch

It's funny how touching can instantly form a connection with someone. A 2004 massage therapy study from The Touch Research Institute showed that there is a fundamental connection between touch and well-being. Small affectionate acts of love show that you still find each other irresistible after being together for years. Try giving massages, hugging each other, holding hands, and giving good night kisses.

Schedule Time Apart

When you've been in a relationship for years it's hard to see "me" when it's been "we" for so long. Keeping your sense of individuality is as important as maintaining the liveliness of your relationship. Go out with your friends, schedule lunch with an old colleague, or pick up a new hobby. The both of you will appreciate the independence and realize how special your time together really is.

These tips can guide your relationship to new and exciting levels, but be sure to discuss your thoughts and concerns too. After all, it takes two people to make a relationship truly work.

Anokhin AP, Golosheykin S, Sirevaag E, Kristjansson S, Rohrbaugh JW, Heath AC. Rapid discrimination of visual scene content in the human brain. Brain Research, doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2006.03.108, available on-line May 18, 2006.

Diego, M.A., Field, T., Sanders, C. & Hernandez-Reif, M. (2004). Massage therapy of moderate and light pressure and vibrator effects on EEG and heart rate. International Journal of Neuroscience, 114, 31-44.

The copyright of the article How to Keep Your Relationship Exciting in Dating Advice is owned by Olivia Chao. Permission to republish How to Keep Your Relationship Exciting in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.