Now that you're settling into the newlywed life, do you ever feel like you don't have time to talk or connect with your spouse the way you did before you said "I do"? Balancing jobs, a new marriage, family obligations and all the other joys of life can make for a grueling schedule. My suggestion to you? Take an evening or an entire weekend and unplug so you can reconnect. Turn off your phones and computers and sign off of all your online vices (from Facebook to Pinterest). Having uninterrupted time together is precious.
Wondering how much extra time unplugging will score you? Whether it buzzes, beeps or rings no matter if you're eating, sleeping, driving or scoring the perfect pair of shoes, it is virtually impossible to ignore your phone. Did you know that the average American spends 619 minutes per month on their cell phone? Add in the 3,120 minutes per month most of us spend online and we're talking about a significant amount of time and attention to spend on each other instead of electronics.
So you're unplugged and staring at each other...now what? You could declare a PJ day and then eat breakfast and read the entire newspaper or your favorite magazines in bed together. After that you can lounge around your home, watch movies, play board games, take a nap and just completely relax together.
Do activities that you love to do, but never have time for. Take a walk through your neighborhood or a park and hold hands. You can talk, or not. Just being together is a good thing! Restaurant hop and have an appetizer at a few places, discover a museum, sign up for a CrossFit class or get a couples massage.
Take your unplugged time to get away, and book a stay at a B&B located in a small town. Enjoy your cozy setting and explore all of the quaint shops and restaurants that you can find. Perhaps there will be a piano bar or one roomed movie theater to enjoy in the evening. Traveling unplugged allows you to be truly surprised and delighted by your findings (instead of consulting Yelp) and to make lasting memories as a couple.
Another option is to tackle a project that has been on your joint to-do list forever. Need to paint the kitchen? Go pick out paint colors and roll up your sleeves. Completing a task together is rewarding and has been shown to strengthen relationship bonds...not to mention improving your home.
As your unplugged time draws to a close, talk about what you liked about uninterrupted time together. Did you both de-stress? Learn something you didn't know about your spouse? Have mind-blowing sex? You may realize that the time you spent together makes it easier for you to handle your spouse's or your own work travel. Whatever the positive outcomes were, make plans to unplug on a regular basis!
What do you do to unplug with your spouse? Have you seen it benefit you relationship and marriage?