How to Keep a Long-Term Relationship Interesting

Relationships are known for having stages: the honeymoon phase, the phase where you hate each other constantly, and then the phase after that, where things are steady. You know how to work with each other, and fights tend to be about smaller things, like dishes, instead of "WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS UGH." All in all, a pretty great set up. But, sometimes, after months (or years) of that same steady state, things can start to feel a little...well...stagnant. To avoid that, you have to make sure to keep your relationship fresh, and, just to help get the wheels turning, here are some ideas on how to keep your relationship as fun and exciting as it was when you first met each other!

Never stop trying to win each other over.

Keep working hard to impress. Take care of yourself, be sweet, be charming, buy flowers and little treats, and remember that the fight to win someone's heart isn't won as soon as you hit the one year mark. KEEP GOING.

Have a date night.

Once every month, or once a week if you can manage it, have something just the two of you do together. Go to a movie. Go hike your favorite trails. Just get out of the house and do something special together.

Talk to each other.

Not about who should've taken out the trash, or about the crappy day you had at work, but talk about your passions. Talk about what you want out of life; talk about the best thing that happened to you today. Positivity is contagious, and it will spread through your relationship like wildfire.

Thank each other.

Truly thanking a person for what they do for you, and what they bring into your life, is an amazing way to keep any type of relationship thriving. Gratitude is proven to make people happier, and happy people tend to have good relationships!

Try new things together.

If there's anything you've been dying to try, and the only thing stopping you is literally nothing other than yourself, go do it, and bring your significant other along! Go do Acro Yoga, or hit up the local trampoline park! You'll make incredible memories, and going outside your comfort zone with someone you love builds trust and practically gives you a solid foundation for your relationship!

Kiss each other like you mean it.

One thing I've noticed with any long term relationship is that people start saving the spice more and more for behind closed doors, and things like kissing become a routine peck when you see each other. If there's one thing I know, it's that a peck rarely feels like it means anything. Kiss like you love each other. Kiss like you're in an amazing relationship built on trust and love and adventure. Don't stop being passionate just because your relationship isn't new — remember that passion is what keeps us going in life, and we all want to feel madly adored.

Now, these are only a few ideas, and you certainly don't have to stop here! Anything you can think of that will keep things fun and interesting is worth trying at least once. Keep you and your partner young and in love, and your relationship will stay that way too!