Top 5 New Year’s Resolutions for Newlyweds
As newlyweds around the globe come together for their first New Year’s celebrations, they may not consider creating New Year’s Resolutions to complete with one another — but why not? We often think of New Year’s as an opportunity to improve only ourselves. Yet for those who have taken the plunge into marriage, it is a common desire to have a fulfilling and happy relationship. Why not create goals and resolutions with one another?
Be More Intimate
And not just in the bedroom. Hug your husband in the morning. Kiss your wife when you come home from work. Offer up foot rubs, back scrubs in the shower, and endless snuggles on the couch. Intimacy isn’t just about sex — it’s about all the physical contact we use to communicate our deeper emotions with one another. Resolve to say “yes” to intimacy in places other than the bedroom — and not just when you’re having sex with one another.
Have Date Nights
Whether they’re spent at home with microwave popcorn and something on Netflix, or you go all-out with a reservation to a 5-star restaurant, plan date nights. Some of our favorite relationship advice we’ve read? “Don’t stop dating your spouse.” Just because you’ve put a ring on it and have become Mr. and Mrs. doesn’t mean it’s time to hang up the romance and stop your courtship. Regular dates are a way to spend quality time with one another, remind each other why you got married in the first place and still keep some spark in-between the two of you.
Get Physical
Fitness is the most common New Year’s Resolution — fitness as a couple? We say, “I do!” to this idea. Working out together is a great way to not only make exercise fun and a quick move from the boring routine of going to the gym, but it’s also a wonderful way to motivate one another if one of you is trying to be healthier. And let’s be honest — all of us could be a little healthier these days!
Plan a Second Honeymoon
It doesn’t have to be an all-expense paid getaway, and it doesn’t need to be labeled a second honeymoon — but couples should have a yearly trip they take with one another that’s something special and out of the ordinary. Even if you stay within your state boundaries, plan a getaway weekend (or more!) that would go beyond your normal lodgings and activities with one another.
Learn Each Other’s Love Language
What started as a book series by popular Christian author Gary Chapmen has evolved into one of the most powerful contemporary tools that couples can use to communicate more effectively with one another. Chapman presents the idea that all of us give and receive love in a specific language — by learning your partner’s love language, you can not only find how to best show them you love them (int he way that makes them feel most loved), but also teach them how to do the same for you. And secularists need not worry — there’s no religious overtones or spiritual elements to the love languages in any way.
What do you think — are New Year’s Resolutions something that can be made together, or are they only for solo artists? Leave us a comment below!