When you have more free time on your hands, you inevitably want to spend it with the people you love, doing the things you love. Mostly, this means being around your significant other for prolonged periods, which is mainly positive. However, being too close has cost couples in the past, as Relate points out, and this is highlighted by the divorce figures from the Office of National Statistics that show an almost 20% increase in break-ups.
This shouldn’t scare you. Instead, it should encourage you to find ways to stay close when you are around your partner all the time. Thankfully, as scientific studies and research shows, it’s a lot easier than people realise. For your part, you only have to do the following to ensure your bond isn’t broken and you stay together forever.
Reduce Stress
The key to bonding with your partner is not to feel stressed. When you do, it heightens potential tensions between you and stops you from being present. But, in this post by Psychology Today, there is a clear link between romantic activities and a reduction in your cortisol levels due to a powerful neurotransmitter called oxytocin. Known as the “love hormone”, it gets its nickname from activities that are synonymous with pair bonding, such as hugging and holding hands. The latter is excellent because you can get a healthy dose of the hormone in non-typical situations, such as walking or hiking, and reduce your stress levels further by being intimate outside of your home.
Team Up
Playing games might be the last thing on your mind, yet the activity is proven to bring couples closer due to the effects of something called “novel and arousing tasks”. In other words, entertaining activities that were outside of the couples’ usual routines. In a paper by Arthur Aron on PubMed, he attempted to prove whether the theory that couples who play together, stay together was true. Therefore, he split participants into three groups, where couples did “novel and arousing tasks.” The results proved that people who participated in entertaining activities together were more likely to experience a higher level of quality within their relationship.
So, what can couples do that falls under this category but are also accessible? As touched upon above, playing games meets this requirement well. This could mean playing a board or video game, such as Monopoly or Call of Duty, but there are several ways to play together and stay together. For example, placing wagers together through joint decision-making at an online casino fits the bill of an ‘arousing-novel’ task perfectly. This is a result of the vivid colours, the wide variety of games, and the thrill of placing bets and potentially winning.
When viewed from this perspective, it’s little wonder why the online casino industry has skyrocketed in recent years, leading to new and exciting platforms like Fruit Kings to appear. Of course, there are different forms of gaming that don’t have to be played digitally or remotely, and alternatives include gaming activities that require close teamwork like Heads Up or to compete in a physical challenge such as who can squat for the longest. There is a huge variety of options you and your partner can try out at little to no cost, so it’s worth a try.
Keep it Simple
The urge to mix things up is common, yet the extra distractions often lead to problems. Keeping bonding simple increases your chances of connecting by eliminating the interruptions and boosting quality time together. Working out together is a long-standing tradition, and FitRated reports that exercising together helps to keep each other motivated, create a common goal to focus on, and encourages positive competition. Other simple activities couples can engage in include cooking together to create a romantic restaurant experience at home, movie nights, and simple arts and crafts such as drawing each other’s portraits.
Nothing is guaranteed in a relationship. As a result, couples should be present by teaming up to reduce stress and keep it simple.
