The Benefits to Spring Cleaning Your Relationship

Spring is symbolic for a fresh start, getting rid of old stuff, and making room for the new. Spring cleaning gives us a lift, helps us gain clarity, and boosts our morale. We can become more motivated to begin new habits that we may have put off. That’s why springtime is the perfect time to clean up your relationship. Don’t let old, unhealthy habits continue to drag you down. Open the closets of your relationship and begin throwing out the times you’ve taken each other for granted by starting these five new habits to break through the humdrum and add new life to your relationship.

1. Plan a weekly lunch or breakfast date. Something as simple as switching up your regular dinner date to a breakfast or lunch shakes up your routine and makes you feel special. When your partner schedules you into their day, it makes you feel like a priority instead of an obligation.

2. Take a class together. One of the most important areas of focus in pre-marriage counseling is how well a couple learns and plays together. Taking a class together is effective at promoting both. A cooking class, sport class, or conquering a home improvement class together helps build vulnerability and support for each other. Plus, learning together is fun and laughter is medicine to relationships.

3. Create weekly check-ins. The busyness of life leaves little time for couples to sit down and talk about how they feel. Begin a practice of Thursday night check-ins where you schedule an hour for the two of you to talk. Ask your partner how they’re really feeling and make it a safe place to brainstorm solutions to old problems instead of sweeping them under the rug.

4. Plan a vacation together. Every couple deserves one vacation a year without the children. This time is integral to the health of the relationship, so make it a priority to schedule it and don’t feel guilty about leaving the children. Your marriage’s health depends on it, and your children’s emotional health will benefit from a strong marriage.

5. Stop comparing yourself to other couples. It’s easy to get caught up in others’ lives you see on social media. You may begin feeling as though your partner isn’t right for you or that you’re missing out of the fun other couples have. Social media only shows what the individuals posting want to show. Focus your attention on creating a relationship you love with your partner. Stop worrying about how your relationship compares to others. Show your partner appreciation, communicate your feelings, and put effort into nurturing each other. Your relationship doesn’t have to be like anyone else’s to be the perfect relationship for you.

Relationships work when both people take responsibility for doing their part to nurture and communicate honestly about their feelings and needs. Using the spring season to re-energize and clean up bad habits we may have fallen into can spark our relationships, which makes them more fun and reminds us of how important they are to our life.