Love

7 Beautiful Ways To Stay In Love (Even When The Honeymoon Phase Is Over)

Photo: Chermiti Mohamed | Pexels
Happy couple hugging outside

Not all relationships are silver, shiny, and sparkly forever. Many people give up on their relationship after the can't-keep-your-hands-off-each-other period has ended because they think they're not in love anymore. In reality, they're entering a new phase in their relationship: real love.

Navigating the storm (and keeping the spark alive!) isn't as difficult as you'll make them out to be. If you really want to know how to get over the honeymoon phase and move forward in your relationship, look no further. 

   

   

We talked to Julia Flood, owner of New Start Therapy, and got some tips on how you can keep those flames burning all relationship long, even after the initial attraction has worn off.

Here are 7 beautiful ways to stay in love — even when the honeymoon phase is over:

1. Show that you care.

Flood suggests that you always, always keep in mind just how important consideration is in a relationship.

Whether it's asking how his day went, checking in to see how his friend who's pregnant is doing, or just asking a basic "Is there anything I can do for you?", longevity in a relationship — especially the type that leads to long-lasting love — comes from being grounded in the basic understanding that you care and are considerate of one another. Plus, as your relationship matures, a partner who wants to do things for you is hot.

RELATED: 25 Deeper Ways To Show Someone You Love Them (Without Saying 'I Love You')

2. Be on the same team.

We're not suggesting the two of you share the same opinion and take the same stance on every argument (because that would be boring), but it's important to remember that you're both on the same team in the end.

Sure, you might prefer Pepsi while he doesn't understand how anyone would live without the taste of a cool Coca-Cola, but in the grand scheme of things, what does it matter? Teamwork makes the dream work.

3. Put some work into the romance.

The worst part about exiting the honeymoon phase and walking straight into a real relationship is learning that real romance requires real work. (Did it just get real up in here or is that just me?)

Sometimes, you've got to tell your guy you want flowers. Remind him that it's your anniversary. It doesn’t mean you're failing at romance to have to schedule the things that are important to you; it means that you're smart enough to know how to keep a romance real.

4. Laugh together.

If I had a nickel for every time someone told me how important laughter is for a relationship, I'd still be poor. But you know what? Laughing together — and I mean genuine, real, from the belly-up laughter — does wonders for your relationship.

During the honeymoon phase, you're so carefree, lovable, and overwhelmed that the silliness is just part of the whole process, but when you're in the thick of it, sometimes it's easy to forget how good a laugh feels, especially when you're sharing it with the person who means more to you than anything.

RELATED: 5 Rare Traits Of People Who Create Relationships Filled With Laughter

5. Schedule sex.

It's simple: plan when you're going to have sex. Make a promise. Stick to it. And shed the clothes.

Planning to have sex has the stigma attached to it that you're old, shriveled up, boring, and disinterested. In fact, it's just the opposite. Scheduling a little hanky panky ensures that you'll both get it — and knowing ahead of time what you and your partner plan to do between the sheets makes the night ahead a whole lot kinkier.

You'll spend all day thinking about it. Talk about a turn-on!

6. Listen — really listen.

Best advice? Never stop listening to each other. During the honeymoon phase, your relationship is so new and so inviting that you're so caught up in the other person. You want to hear every story, and feel every emotion — and once you're past that, it can be easy to forget just how important real, genuine listening can be.

If he's had a bad day, hug him and hear him out. If his boss is giving him hell at work, be there when he needs you. It will only deepen (and strengthen) your bonds.

7. Date each other.

It's so easy to say it — and it almost sounds a little cliché — but going out on dates together throughout your relationship keeps the romance alive. So when he asks "Dinner at 7?" tell him you can't wait.

RELATED: 8 Unromantic, Real Reasons I Stopped "Dating" My Husband

Kylie McConville is a freelance writer, editor-in-chief at Apartment Therapy, and founding editor of Romper. Her bylines have appeared in BDG, Yahoo, Bustle, Elite Daily, Romper, The Bump, and others. Kristine Soloman is a freelance editor and writer. She has appeared in Forbes, Huffington Post, Insider Business, and more.