In today’s busy, go-go-go society, a common relationship problem is simply not having enough quality time together. Whether one of you has to spend late nights at the office or you’ve got your hands full juggling your kids’ activities, you may find that you just don’t have enough time together to feel fully connected and in tune.
This can lead to breakdowns in communication, feelings of resentment, and so much more if it goes unchecked. The key here is to find intentional, meaningful ways to connect—even if it can’t be for very long each day.
Solutions:
- Schedule time together. Take a look at your calendars and actually schedule out time to spend together. That might mean penciling in a date night each week, scheduling 20 minutes to unwind together after putting the kids to bed, or meeting each other for a walk on your lunch breaks every Monday.
- Connect over daily, mundane tasks. Multitasking doesn’t always have to be a bad thing, as long as it is intentional. For example, you can create “us time” while knocking off a few things from the to-do list at the same time. Try cooking together, grocery shopping together, or tidying up the house at the end of the day together. Make this an intentional time to chat, catch up, share stories, vent, and laugh together.
- Use technology to your advantage. If physical time together is hard to come by, don’t be afraid to use technology to build your connection. Send each other check-in texts throughout the day, video chat for a few minutes on your lunch break, or talk over the phone when on your commute home.
- But also know when to put your devices away. During the “us time” that you carve out in your busy lives, make sure that technology isn’t getting between you. Come up with a technology agreement, which may involve leaving your phones out of reach while eating dinner together or charging phones outside of the bedroom.
- When you are together, make the most of it. Be intentional with the time you do get together so that every moment counts. Put your phones away, minimize distractions, be present, and fully engage with each other whenever you can.
