A lot of couples had to reevaluate their status when they emerged from pandemic seclusion. People changed and so did relationships. Couples spent as much time together during the pandemic as they would over a three-year period, according to clinical psychologists. As couples plunged back into regular life, they realized they needed to reset their relationships.
Now, you don’t have to be holed up in your house for a year to do a relationship reset. Resetting and redefining a relationship can be especially beneficial for empathetic and sensitive people because they can pick up on other people’s emotions more easily. Empaths have a uniquely close connection with others, so resetting a relationship may be the maintenance necessary for emotional housekeeping.
Whether you’re an empath or not, a relationship reset can be highly beneficial for both parties. If you are in a funk as a couple, hitting the reset button can help keep the relationship on the tracks. Consider the following tips to help strengthen your relationship.
Do A Relationship Review
For starters, have a sit-down together and assess what works and what doesn’t work about your relationship. In order to make positive changes going forward, you have to share what you’ve learned about each other during the course of your relationship. Consider using prompts to aid the flow of the conversation. What has your time together revealed about your relationship? What do you want to discard and what has surprised you about each other? Don’t just focus on annoying things your partner does because they probably did/do things that surprised you.
Build In Time Apart
Togetherness is a beautiful thing, but every couple needs time apart. Not only does time apart help the relationship flourish, but it also gives each person more independent strength. Solo time and being with other people can shape your character from different perspectives. When you are alone, you are in more control of your actions and how you manage your time. You can also process events, set goals, and think more individually while apart. Taking time for yourself helps each person in the relationship grow independently, and that can actually strengthen it.
Spend Less Time In Their Energy
This piggybacks on the aforementioned tip about building time apart, and it also applies to a wide variety of relationships. Create space for yourself by not answering calls, text, or emails immediately. If you live with the person, make a habit of running errands separately or spending time with other people outside of the house. Solo hobbies are also great to have because they allow you to focus on self-improvement. Cooking, gardening, writing, or martial arts classes are great solo endeavors.
Voice Your Appreciation
Although time apart is necessary for any relationship, time together is also something to cherish. When you are together, it’s imperative to voice your appreciation, especially if you feel that that is one of your weaknesses. Just as negative feedback is conducive to the relationship, so is positivity. A nearly three-decade-long study of marriage and divorce confirmed that one of the biggest regrets among divorced participants was not giving more encouragement and positive support. You can provide this type of support in the form of words or thoughtful gestures. Neglecting simple acts like cleaning the kitchen or making dinner can slowly chip away at a person. Don’t let the little things go unnoticed and make sure to show appreciation.
Take Time To Connect
Sex is a crucial component to a healthy relationship. A recent online survey of 1,559 adults found that 43% of participants reported a decline in the quality of their sex lives since the start of the pandemic. A sexual dry spell is more common than you think. Stress, career uncertainty, children, and more are all libido killers. So how do you reignite that sexual spark and intimate connection? Therapists suggest that you prioritize sex as a component of overall health and wellbeing. When you prioritize sex as health, it makes it easier to allocate time for intimacy. If that means scheduling sex once a week, so be it! Don’t worry about the schedule taking the excitement out of the act. More often than not, people look forward to sex on the calendar! Most health experts suggest aiming for sex once a week because it is a very achievable number. Plus, one study found that weekly sex was essential for maximum wellbeing.
After a relationship reset, assess how you feel toward the other person. You may find that you love them more than ever before. It’s also possible that the other person may need to occupy less space in your life. Relationships are not easy, and they can be messy and imperfect. A good clean up and reset can often be of great service to your relationship.
