9 Ways Your Relationship Can Beat The Winter Blues
By Dr. Karen Sherman. Posted on .
Do you have the winter doldrums? While some people actually suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the dark, cold winter months take their toll on almost everyone. And our relationships aren't immune, either.
If the winter has you feeling down, there's a good chance your partner feels the same way. Have you ever noticed that when you wake up feeling great, if your partner is in a bad mood, soon, your mood sours too? That's because partners affect each others' feelings. Bad moods — and good ones — can be contagious.
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And while spring promises relief for some, other couples experience the "winter doldrums" all year round as a result of having been together for so long. For them, the "zing" has gone out the window. I often hear, "I love my mate, but I'm not in love any more." Does this sound familiar to you?
As scary as this feeling is to the partners, when I hear these words, it's like hearing the upcoming song of the birds. Why? Because feelings do come back if you know how to work on it. I offer to you the following nine steps to revitalize your relationship and keep things positive:
1. Bring out your old pictures and reminisce. This will help to stir up the old memories and put you in a good frame of mind. Of course, make sure to retell the good stories that go with the pictures.
2. Do something different. There's a saying that you probably know about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result being a definition of insanity. It's also boring! To keep the spark or to bring it back, mix it up! Even if you're not the adventurous type do what you always do ... but do it differently.
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3. Remember the past. When you were dating, you did little things to show each other that you mattered. Maybe you left notes on car windshields as a surprise or wrote cute things on steamed-up mirrors. Do these again. Keep reading ...
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