In addition to your own personal New Year’s resolutions, it’s important to make a separate list for your relationship. What can you resolve to do in the New Year as a couple? How can you strengthen your bond, build trust, boost emotional closeness, and improve your overall connection? Luckily, we have some tips!
Here are 16 New Year’s resolutions any couple should work on:
1. Commit To Regular Date Nights
Planning a weekly or monthly date night gives you a much-needed escape from everyday life and the chance to have some fun together.
Most importantly, regular date nights help keep you feeling connected, improve your sex life (really!), and lead to greater relationship satisfaction.
2. Try Something New Together
Research has shown that trying new things with your partner can help prevent boredom, make you feel closer, create more happiness in your relationship, and help you feel more satisfied with life in general.
Pick something neither of you has tried before and enjoy the adventure together!
3. Volunteer Together
When you and your partner volunteer together, you work toward a shared goal, learn new skills, and even make new friends. You’ll both be feeling better about yourselves, each other, and your relationship after doing something so selfless.
4. Make Sex A Priority
This New Year, make it a point to increase the amount of sexy time in your relationship. It doesn’t have to be every day for you to feel satisfied!
Researchers have found that having sex just once a week leads to happier relationships. That’s it! (Of course, if you want to do it more, have at it!)
5. Stop Sweating The Small Stuff
This is where the phrase “pick your battles” comes into play. Whether it’s a disagreement between you and your partner or a personal problem you can’t seem to shake, make an effort to let the little things go.
6. Implement More Alone Time
Space is healthy for any romantic relationship ——the key is to find the right balance. You and your partner both need time for yourselves, but you don’t want so much that you end up growing apart.
Alone time is the chance to focus on your own needs and well-being. The happier you are with yourself, the happier you will be in your relationship.
7. Put The Phones Down When You’re Talking To Each Other
The term “phubbing,” coined by relationship experts, refers to the times you “snub” your partner with your phone while they are talking. It can actually lead to decreased trust and a less satisfying relationship!
Try implementing a “phone-free” time every day, whether it’s while you catch up after work or eat dinner together at the table.
8. Exercise Together
Research has found that working out as a couple can increase relationship happiness, boost your emotional bond, and makes you more attracted to each other!
9. Cook Together
Cooking together is a great way to strengthen your bond. It facilitates curiosity, appreciation, creativity, and teamwork, which are all essential for a healthy relationship!
10. Practice Active Listening
Aside from putting the phone down, you should really try to practice active listening. While your opinions and feelings are important, you should also make the effort to understand where your partner is coming from. It’s critical for resolving your issues!
By practicing active listening, you are also practicing empathy, which is crucial for putting yourself in their shoes and being able to reflect on how they feel.
11. Learn Each Other’s Love Languages
There are five different love languages that describe how a person either prefers to give or receive love: words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, physical touch, and giving/receiving gifts.
At their core, love languages show what you and your partner prioritize and care about. By understanding each other’s love languages, you’re both more likely to feel understood, appreciated, and valued.
12. Take Time At the End of Each Day To Talk
Think of it as your daily relationship “check-in.” Talk about your days, bring up any concerns you have (whether they are regarding your relationship or not), and remember to practice active listening.
13. Show More Admiration
Admiration is enriching for your relationship in so many ways. It helps you both feel visible, appreciated, and loved. You’re admiring your partner not just for how they act with you, but for how they operate in the world as a whole.
Make it a habit to tell your partner what it is you truly admire about them — and do it often. It’s a total game-changer for your relationship!
14. Set A Shared Long-Term Goal
Think of a long-term goal that you want to accomplish together. Do you want to buy a house, get married, or have kids? Maybe you want to travel more or finally run a marathon?
When you set a long-term goal for yourselves and work toward it together, it helps boost your bond and gives you something exciting to look forward to in the future.
15. Argue In A Healthy Way
One of the biggest New Year’s resolutions for couples should be to fight fair. Avoid name-calling, don’t condescend each other, and offer sincere apologies.
16. Try Relish
Relish is a relationship coaching app that offers couples personalized quizzes, articles, games, and tailored relationship advice. Our team of expert coaches personalizes your experience and helps you achieve your relationship goals.
The New Year is the start of a “new you” — and that goes for your relationship, too! Making the effort to work on improving your relationship is an essential step in creating a happy, secure, healthy, and loving relationship.
