20 WAYS TO BOND WITH YOUR PARTNER WHEN LIFE IS BUSY

When life gets busy, it’s easy for our relationships to go on autopilot or survive on time snatched at the end of a stressful day. Yet, finding ways to reconnect with your partner needn’t be costly or time-consuming but they do help support a happy, strong and healthy relationship. Check out this post on 20 ways to bond with your partner when busy life gets in the way.

BUILDING A STRONG RELATIONSHIP

For many reasons it’s important to build and maintain strong relationships that are mutually supportive, respectful and fun. Yet, when you’ve been at work all day, or maybe chased around looking after your kids or are generally struggling with a busy schedule, finding the time and energy to work on your relationship can be tricky!

In this article, I’m sharing some simple and intentional ways to bond with your partner that are realistic, practical and will hopefully fit in with your every-day life.

20 WAYS TO BOND WITH YOUR PARTNER

Here’s a list of ways to bond with your partner. Find what works for you and make it a regular part of your routine to find time and space to reconnect with each other.

1. Cook a meal and eat it together (if that’s not practical, it can be breakfast before the kids get up!).

2. Each make a list of five things you love about the other person. Read it out loud to each other.

3. Find an interest that you can share together and make time to do it.

4. Tell each other about your day and ask questions about what happened. Turn off the screens, put down your phone and really listen to one another.

5. Discuss how you would describe each other to someone you didn’t know. Were you surprised at how your partner described you and would you have said the same about yourself?!

6. Make a list of 3 things that you’d both like to improve in your relationship. Be honest with yourself and each other. Find ways to start to make these things happen as soon as you can.

7. Talk about shared memories of good times, for example, what was your best holiday and why? What do you learn and how could you do this, or similar, again in the near future?

8. Explore ways you can weave more time for each other into your calendar. Put it in the diary so you can both see what you plan and when and avoid double-booking yourselves.

9. Pick and agree your favourite 3 things to do together. When can you make time to do them next? Read more about how to be less busy.

10. Work out what your strengths and weaknesses are as a couple. What things do you do well together and what areas do you struggle in? How does this affect the dynamics of your relationship and the roles you take on? Acknowledge that you might both need to work on certain areas together!

11. Talk about where you’d like to be in 5 or 10 years’ time and what steps you need to take to get you there. Learn more about how to refresh your goals and why it matters, not just for yourself but for your relationship together. After all, as time goes by, we change, our needs change and relationships can evolve too.

12. Try never to go to bed on an argument as you never know what tomorrow will bring.

13. Discuss what you see as priorities for you both, together and as individuals. Explore ways to put them first regularly. Read more about how to define your priorities (+ get a free printable to help you).

14. Don’t forget the power of both your words and actions. When you love someone, the impact of what you say and what you do is magnified because we care more. Make a conscious effort to use the right words and actions even though it’s tempting to get lazy or take our partners for granted.

15. Go for a walk and enjoy just being with each other.

16. Do something spontaneous and unexpected for each other.

17. Find ways to laugh together because life isn’t all that fun sometimes and we forget to see the funny side. Here are 20 ways to be happier.

18. Respect each other as individuals.

19. Share the load and act as a team – split the chores, take turns in cooking or bathing the kids. If one of you is struggling, it helps if the other one steps in and offers support or to help in some way. Don’t always take an answer of ‘I’m fine’ as the final answer. Offer to make dinner or suggest your partner has some quiet time whilst you take care of the kids! Suggest an evening out if they need some excitement or a quiet night in if they’re tired and need sleep.

It depends on the dynamics of who does what in your home, schedule and work/life and how you react to offers of help when either of you are struggling. Sometimes we find it difficult to say yes or admit we need help. Be mindful of the messages your partner sends out because cries for help or support aren’t always verbal.

20. Make a list of your strengths as a couple. What do you do well when you’re working together?

FINDING TIME FOR YOURSELF AND EACH OTHER

Finding time to bond with your partner when you have daily responsibilities can be difficult. Hopefully the ideas I’ve shared here will give you some practical, simple suggestions for you and your partner to work on together.

If you struggle to find the time for yourself (and perhaps your partner) here are some articles which may help:

• How to make time for yourself
• Clutter-free gift ideas for Valentine’s Day
• 7 ways to be intentional with your time
• Minimalist morning routine ideas – to start the day well
• How to create a calm home – 20 tips for more peace and less stress

DON’T MISS OUT!

I’m Antonia and on this blog I share practical inspiration to simplify your home, time and life. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest! You can also subscribe to Balance Through Simplicity and receive regular simplicity tips straight to your inbox for free. Make sure you never miss an article plus you’ll get a copy of my free Declutter Starter Kit as a welcome gift!