In this day and age, it’s so hard to find time for not only ourselves but also the people we love so deeply. We find ourselves checking our phone more than checking on our partner and how their day has been going. When you’re so involved with being on social media, it’s so easy to get lost, it’s the easy option. When you’re lost in technology it loses the aspect of the benefits that come with it, and instead leaves you neglecting those around you every day. With this list, we’ll cover a number of life hacks that you can incorporate into your lifestyle that will boost your connection with those around you, your time with your partner, and you can’t possibly mess them up! They’re so minimal, yet they’ll ground you into your surroundings and will make you feel like the moment is too important to miss for some social media updates!
15Game Night
A game night can actually be one of the most healing things you could incorporate into your relationship! Whether you plan a game night for the weekend with a bunch of your friends, or if you just play Xbox all night together, it can be so much fun, and something both of you will enjoy. Especially your partner, since that’s all guys seem to enjoy doing so passionately. From classic games to new video games, there’s something for everyone and you could even plan a whole day of it. Prepare a bunch of snacks and just go crazy! Game night is something I always look forward to with my partner, we make a whole day of it, usually a Saturday so we don’t have to worry about work, we can stay up to the wee hours of the morning and just fully enjoy the whole experience. It’s something we’ll both cherish for a long time.
14Letters
This might not be one of the hacks you do every day, but I can promise that if you do this every once in a while it’ll bring happiness and a warm feeling to the relationship! Sit down one evening, get cozy and just write your thoughts out, addressed to your partner, tell them how you feel, what you enjoyed during the week, whatever else comes to mind. Mark it all down on some lovely stationery and leave it somewhere where they’ll find it later on. I like to go all out and even make my own wax closures over a sealed envelope, it adds mystery and the little details won’t go unnoticed. Your hard work and your thoughts will be in their mind forever, it’s a beautiful way to brighten their days ahead. I love doing this when I know there’s a stressful week ahead. You never know, you might get one in return as well!
13Being Social
I know that it can be sometimes extremely difficult to get back into socializing with friends and meeting new friends when you are in love. But it is something that is so important that you make sure you do throughout life and in your relationship. It can be a hard balance to find time for everything you deem important and when you have moved, or are currently working on your career while living with your partner, it’s hard to find time for it all. But trust me, you won’t regret it if you go out and meet new people, form friendships with your partner so there’s a mutual friend group, you’ll find your life being filled with fun and adventurous things you couldn’t even imagine. Whether it’s just a night out with everyone on the town, or going window shopping downtown, it all can bring a smile to your face and they’re all a part of your new family and lifestyle.
12Morning Hours
One of the most peaceful ways to start my day is to enjoy the quiet of the morning hours, I feel the most productive and I love the ritual of making my warm cup of coffee. It makes it even better when my partner is there with me, in silence, enjoying the smells from the kitchen, and the fresh morning light on our faces when we open the curtains. Starting off your day right is very important because it sets the tone for the rest of your day! Morning hours can be deeply inspiring and they can really bring a couple together when you truly think about it, being able to spend time together, having a moment of silence before the chaos of the busy day ahead starts, it can bring you closer to your partner than ever before. Hopefully, it’ll turn into a habit and from then on you’ll enjoy early mornings with a new perspective.
11Late Night Quiet Time
Similar to the tip above, I consider late nights with my partner a life hack because it does take some getting used to to not be going full throttle like the rest of the day. Learning to incorporate moments of quiet and just enjoying the moment you are in can really amp up your relationship to a new level. Whether it is turning on a movie you both enjoy, or just enjoying dinner together while you talk about your day, it is a beautiful time when you stay up late on the weekends together. Do not tell anyone, but my partner and I love to have quiet nights with a cup of coffee, decaf if I have to get up early! But these simple changes can transform your relationship from just existing in one place together, to flourishing in your relationship no matter what is thrown your way. it’s definitely something to consider!
10Movie Night
I do not know about you, but I have quite the movie collection, and so does my partner. While we do love a lot of the same things, our taste in film could not be more different. To remedy this situation since I have found that many couples have this same issue of film taste difference with their partners, hence why movie night just never ‘works’. Simply watch two movies. Make it a point to have time during the week to watch both, that way everyone is happy, and make sure it’s when you both have free time, that way it is fair, and it also gives you something to do to prepare for the week ahead, trying to find movies you will both enjoy, is quite the challenge. Using this little movie nightlife hack, my partner and I have found movies that have instantly turned into traditions for us, and they are usually something the other has picked!
9Meal Planning
I know, I know, this sounds super boring, but it doesn’t have to be! Meal planning can be a fun way to organize the week and learn what each other likes! I’ve always believed that food is a big part of life, good food, and good people, and when you schedule your meals out for the week it gives you a firm base of organization for the week ahead so you don’t have to worry about it, plus you usually eat healthier when you do this as well, without any effort!
Simply sit down together over the weekend and grab a sheet of paper to start your list, plan your breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all the days, feel free to not include the weekends, it’s up to you! Do what makes you both happy and what works for you, it’s different for everyone. You’ll find yourself with more time on your hands to spend together, while also being healthier in the process, win win!
8Friday Night Drive Thru Dates
Something people might not think about all the time is all the amazing places open after dark. Not talking about a 24/7 McDonald run unless that is what floats your boat, I am talking about cute donuts, boba cafes, etc, make a plan to stay up all night on the weekend with your loved one and plan some food drive thru’s you would love to help curb your midnight cravings! It is amazing all the cute and fun places you can discover together that you did not know about. And think of it as another fun cool date night you two can check off your list! It seems like a simple way to kill time together, but I’ve had some of my most meaningful conversations on those late night drives with my partner. It’s crazy to think that this could add any substance to your relationship, but trust me, don’t knock it until you try it, you’ll never know!
7Work Hours Together
Working from home is becoming a new trendy way to jump start your career in recent years, it’s becoming the option for most people. Partners that work at home, different hours, different jobs, it’s important to try to sync up schedules as much as possible, you’ll be surprised when you spend time sitting next to each other or in the same room working, not speaking to each other, but being in each other’s presence, you’ll be shocked at how important that can be to your relationship. Being able to co-exist well and work on the computer in the same room together, doing our own thing but being able to smile or just glance at your loved one while they work away too is such a rewarding thing. Even if you don’t work from home, if you talk over breaks, send quick messages to each other, it can all be so helpful for getting through the day with a positive attitude. I’ve known so many people that just shut everything off during work, and only talk to their partner after work, but just send a quick message and I’m sure you’ll never go back to not communicating!
6Gardening
Feel free to set up a full-blown garden with your partner, but the gardening I am talking about is owning potted plants in our loft! This can be an easy, but low maintenance hobby that both of you can enjoy. Not only can you grow herbs that you will actually use when cooking together, you can form a bond with your partner while caring for something mutually. You can both keep each other accountable when it comes to caring for the plants, the perfect way to see if you both can care for something well! Grab a few plants from your local gardening center and start when you get home, you could even plant your own seeds and watch them grow around your home from scratch. If you rather have less responsibility because you’re both short on time, go for a simple succulent, it doesn’t hurt they’re so on #trend!
5Goal Planning
One of my favorite things to do with my partner is to have a goal planner together, mapping out the general direction we want to head in for the month ahead and also long term goals for the year. Not believing in planning everything out exactly but just goals we’d like to try to accomplish, basically a mini bucket list of more reasonable and obtainable things! It’s wonderful to decorate the page together, place it somewhere where you both can see it daily and actually plan the dates when you’d like to go do those things! Another good idea is if you find things that you repeatedly put on your list of goals, frame those, make it look pretty with beautiful paper or a color scheme that fits your living space and you’ll be able to cross them off on the glass with a dry erase marker, and then the next month you can erase and start over again! A stylish and trendy alternative!
4Little Notes
Quite similar to the letters I mentioned above, this little relationship hack brings that down to a smaller scale! Leaving small handwritten notes laying around the house or in coat pockets can really brighten up the day ten fold! Don’t you remember how happy you felt when you were younger when your mom would leave you cute little notes in your lunch? Well, this is like the adult version of that! Your partner will be smiling whenever they see a small little note! From writing something simple like,’ I love you ‘! To even writing an inside joke (even if it’s crude), to add a bit more of a personal touch. I know that whenever my partner leaves a little note laying around for me, they really do make my day so much better, they make me fully appreciate our relationship and where we are in life, it reassures me that everything will be okay because we have each other.
3Fitness
Many might not think this is for everyone, especially if you are not active regularly, but it can be! You do not have to be in great shape to go on a walk together or do a quick at-home fitness routine you both can do. The goal is not to get slim quick, or super buff, it is to spend time together doing something that will help you both in the long run! Just remember that if you work on fitness together, you are working towards having a long and happy life together, that is so important to remember! Start with just a simple walk around the neighborhood, or even a dance game on the Wii, anything that gets you moving! You’ll soon realize that the two of you have adopted a healthy habit without even trying so hard. Or better yet, maybe if the whole keeping a plant alive thing worked out, you can look into buying a pet together, a cute little dog perhaps, and incorporate walking it together as your fitness routine.
2Meditation
Setting aside 15 minutes every morning to sit in bed, legs folded, and closing my eyes while I concentrate on breathing is a great and peaceful way to start the day. Whether you sit with light music playing, or just have a moment of silence, the little bit of meditation is a perfect way to wake up with your partner. At first, it might be a little difficult to get into it but once you’ve tried it a few times you will see just how amazing it is! It gives you a sense of peace for the day you both can share, throughout the day you’ll be able to think back to that moment and smile, and so will your partner. It’s so important to have some sort of meditation during your day, more than once if you just need a break from a stressful situation, adding your partner into the mix, just amps up the positive vibes!
1No Electronics
On the theme of silence and enjoying the quiet and love of the relationship you share with your partner, being able to turn off electronics and being in the moment is also something you should try. Not taking pictures, or checking social media, even if it is just during breakfast while the morning is still peaceful is a great life hack to incorporate into your lifestyle. You will not be distracted, you will not worry about what is going on outside of your relationship. All the extra things being uploaded on social media will still be there in 30 minutes after you finish your morning routine with your partner! If you make sure to silence or turn off your phone during the morning and your partner does the same, there will be a big connection that was not there before, it will enhance your quality of life, sign me up!
