Admit To Embarrassing Moments
Adding to the amusement of one another? Whether they occurred five minutes ago or five years ago, Leina Rodriguez, LMFT, a certified marital and family therapist, advises being honest about your humiliating situations to Bustle.
After a slip-up, Rodriguez advises that couples should poke fun at each other in a light-hearted way because it “may also help you discover how your spouse overcomes [their errors], or if they have a hard time letting go.”
Choose A Conversation Starter
When in doubt, a certified clinical social professional named Sarit Fassazadeh, LCSW, advises Bustle to resort to the internet for some couple-friendly questions as a means to come up with new conversation starters.
The New York Times’ 36 questions that lead to love is a good place to start. She suggests that you “maybe select a question or two a day and really investigate them together.”
As a method to check in and reconnect, you may also make it a weekly habit to respond as you eat supper. Fassazadeh asserts that there is always more to discover about a person. Finding the correct questions to ask is all that’s required.
Play A Thought-Provoking Game
Nothing like a boisterous game of Trivial Pursuit, or any other game that stimulates your brain, so dust it off and start playing. According to Ashley L. Annestedt, LCSW, a certified clinical social worker, “These sorts of strange and unusual inquiries may inspire new and engaging discourse while also helping you move out of a monotonous pattern.” Who doesn’t like game night, after all?
Talk About Books & Movies
How frequently do you watch a show together, switch the TV off, then part ways? According to Alysha Perlman, LCSW, a certified clinical social worker, if you responded “always,” you’re missing out on a fantastic chance to discuss what you just witnessed.
It may be a terrific opportunity to connect and discuss topics other than the daily grind, she adds, to read a book or see a movie together, followed by thoughtful discussions about your feelings on it.
Get Real About Money
You probably haven’t talked about finances in a while, if at all, because couples tend to avoid the subject. So if you’re stuck for topics to discuss, this may be the answer.
According to Andrea Woroch, a financial and budgeting expert, “the thing about money is that it’s the sort of talk you can keep having and it never becomes boring, especially as you start achieving new milestones in your life.” “Topics can range from talking about ways to lower monthly expenditures, to haggling for a raise at work, to shopping around for the lowest price on a new piece of furniture,” says the website.
To check in and see how you both feel about items you divide or share as a partnership, like a joint savings account or bills, she advises scheduling monthly “budgeting dates.”
Learn To Be OK With Silence
Having said that, if you (or your partner) don’t want to chat all the time, don’t feel obligated to. Relationship therapist and author Stacey Greene tells Bustle that “often we feel we must fill all of our space with interesting dialogue.” Sincerely, there are times when it feels wonderful to do nothing but stare, gaze, smile, snuggle, hold hands, etc. Go with the flow if that’s what’s occurring.
In your relationship, there will be quiet times as well as times when you have stimulating conversations and in-depth debates. You’ll probably never run out of things to say if you strike a balance between the three and don’t try to force it.
