Entertain your relationship!

Time passes them by and suddenly the butterflies are gone, the first kiss feeling has vanished and step by step everything is taken for granted and altered into a routine. Every relationship is bound to undergo this phase, why not be ready for it and prevent boredom to sneak in our lives? There are many things one can do to spice up life or to get in a fresh breeze. Let’s examine the whereabouts of this issue.

 

First of all let’s make one thing clear, this article does not imply that you should dress up like Shadia and sing your spouse “Irma La Douce” when he comes home. I am confident it worked for Shadia but ….

 

Reaching the point where everything became normal and common can be solved in several ways by trying to find something that creates a new mutual interest in the both of you. What about attending salsa classes? It does not have to be salsa, go for tennis, it will do! Finding a common hobby or interest can create new topics, stimulate discussions or simply unite you as a couple in a fun and exciting activity. (By the way watching your spouse playing Playstation does not necessarily count as a common hobby, sounds familiar?)

 

One of the very basic forms of communication is still plain and simple conversation. When was the last time you actually had a conversation with each other? Hmmm…well ok. Then it’s just about time to spend quality time with your spouse to talk and discuss anything apart from monthly budgets, the car loan or the last family lunch. Enjoy your time chatting about whatever you feel like, laughing about funny moments you had, just find back to your common ground. Expressing interest in the partners’ needs and wants are the essence to a balanced relationship.

 

Often a weekend alone away from the crowd and the daily hassle, somewhere by the see can do miracles and breaks the routine. Pack your swimsuit and put yourself into your car and just drive away. We are lucky enough to have many weekend destinations around the corner. Get yourself and your spouse a treat and get pampered.

 

Create the time for intimacy. In our fast-paced lifestyle we tend to spend most of the time at work, in the car (especially if you work in Mohandessin and live in Heliopolis) or on outings with friends or family. Often intimacy gets lost on the way. Both of you must find the time for each other. Call off the dinner with your friends and spend the evening at home and cuddle up to watch a movie and order food. Set a rotating day just for you two to be on your own intimacy is bound to evolve.

 

We have been out there asking real couples what they do when the “routine blues” hits them and what they recommend.

 

“We have 2 young girls so life is very stressful, so the best thing is to take a break from all that to enjoy each other’s company as a couple far from the daily hassle of diapers, doctors and baby bottles. We leave the girls with their grandparents and take-off for a weekend at the beach or sometimes even spend a day or two at any hotel in Cairo to refresh memories. Don’t get me wrong I love being a father and my girls but I also love my wife and any relationship must be maintained and cared for ”, Omar, 30 years, café owner.

 

“I believe that often you are together 24/7 with your spouse without spending really quality time together. Many women after marriage become this typical Egyptian ‘Madam’ that invests all her efforts and time on the husband and the logistics of a marriage rather than also taking care of herself physically and mentally, so she ends up being this stressed out, hysteric person that she thought she’d never be and in turn feels not enough accredited for all the sacrifice made. Having an own life, friends and a healthy balance between her own physical and mental well-being in addition to some time management life is much easier. You can start to enjoy yourself more and in turn enjoy your husband. Creating time for yourself and your interests will let you be able to create time for you and your spouse to spend quality time together. Arrange one day of the weekend only for you two, where you can do all the fun stuff you used to when still dating ”,Hanan,  26 years.

 

“I have very late working hours therefore sleep in late the next day, so often our time together is limited to a few hours in the afternoon which are filled with our 2 children. Since our youngest is only 4 months old add endless sleepless nights to that which results that even the few hours we have together both of us are too tired. So what we do once in a while is steal a night and spend it in the hotel our wedding was at, even in the same suite”, Nader, 31 years, café owner.

 

“Spending quality time together is the key to a happy life. We both work and have a 2 year old son who gets most of our attention and time. Yet we are cautious not to fall into the routine trap so we go for dinner or to the movies at night when our son is asleep. Every birthday or anniversary we spend a romantic evening together, we kept that up even after our son’s birth, which is also very important. I also believe that spending time just the 3 of us is a great way to enjoy each other as a family, which will in turn help us to maintain a healthy balance between being young parents and a young couple”, Lydia, 27 years, Teacher.

 

“I think that intimacy and a healthy physical relationship are very important and often underestimated, finding time in our packed lifestyle and routine for being together must be on our daily calendars. We are all busy with the kids and the daily logistics of kindergarten, sterilizing of baby bottles and birthday parties so often one falls asleep on the couch, of course the mood for cuddling is gone by then. But still it is important to free yourself and just be a wife more often not only a mother. Another recommendation I want to share is that having an own life gives the woman a better feeling about herself and in turn reflects positive vibrations at home ”, Amina, 29 years, mechanical engineer.