Do you suffer from chronic ‘Boring Couple’ Syndrome? When you’re in a long-term relationship or marriage, it’s very easy to get comfortable. Gone are the days of flowers, romantic notes and candlelit dinners. The butterflies of early romance have inevitably fluttered away, along with your waistline (in my case, anyway).
JLS star Marvin with Saturdays starlet Rochelle enjoying time together away from the baby
Many of us fall into the trap of getting home from work and having a conversation in grunts, which may go something like this:
‘How was your day?’
‘Fine. Yours?’
‘Ok. You don’t want to go out tonight, do you?’
‘No, do you?
‘No. I’m knackered. Let’s stay in.’
Then you put on your over-sized PJs and slob in front of the TV, with your favourite takeaway. And who cares if a bit dribbles down your chin?
They may have a new addition to their family, but Marvin Humes and Rochelle Wiseman left their baby girl Alaia-Mai at home this week to go out for a ‘date night and dined at Novikov Restaurant, alongside JLS’s bandmates.
Marv, 28, was wearing a fitted white shirt and cream trousers and The Saturdays singer Rochelle, 24, looked fab in a white peplum top and black skirt.
Clearly Marv and Rochelle were clearly using the opportunity as a ‘date night’ – the practice of setting time aside away from routines and the household – to let their hair down.
But how important is it for couples to have quality nights out together like this?
According to a report published last year by the University of Virginia, these evenings out strengthen relationships by giving partners some much-needed time together. It states that a regular ‘date night’ is an opportunity to communicate and understand each other, as people continue to change throughout life. They are a good way of relieving stress and an opportunity to talk through important personal or professional issues. They make your sense of commitment towards each other stronger and give a relationship back that all-important spark. Finally, apparently ‘date nights’ are important for the novelty factor.
Whether you’re out for dinner at a new restaurant or do something more active, like going clubbing or traveling, it activates the brain’s reward system, flooding it with the same chemicals that are ignited when you fall in love.
What about you? Do you have date nights with your partner? Has it helped your relationship? Tell us @lovestruck
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