Whether you’re in a long term committed relationship or you’ve recently, or not so recently, become married to the person you wish to spend the rest of your life with, that early relationship high that you get when you first get together is not always so easy to keep going down the months and years after that early stage buzz. We spoke with someone who is loved up still and got his favourite tips for either keeping that passion high or reigniting the flame.

Have Time Only for Yourselves

Whether it is one/two/four evenings a week or a whole weekend – of course the choice is yours – lock your front door, turn off your mobile phones, computers, laptops and tablets then disconnect the house phone to leave yourselves cut off from the world. Once cut off from friends, family and all outside influences then you both have all evening/weekend to yourselves to spend time talking, doing things you both enjoy and ensuring that you stay connected with each other.

Do Things you Both Enjoy

Clearly you both have some things in common with each other or you would never have connected and/or stayed together in the early days of your relationship, so it is important to ensure that these things in common are not neglected later on in your relationship or it is possible that you will drift apart. So whether it is a love of Italian food, watching foreign language and subtitled movies in the cinema, visiting museums or even that you both like to play online bingo together make time each week to do something that you are both passionate about to keep yourselves connected. I met my husband through Butlersbingo.com in one of their chat rooms! Internet dating at its best!

Go Places and See Things

Travel! See the world and document your travels as this will always give you fond memories to look back upon during your relationship together. Go to places that you both want to visit together as well places that one or another wishes to see and see the big touristy sites as well as heading off the beaten track to give yourselves a once in a lifetime adventure that you can look fondly upon in the future. We have only one life, so no matter the cost make it count by doing everything you want with each other.

Eat Together

Similar to the first entry on this list, one way to ensure that you stay close is to turn off your TV, radio or internet connected device – yes, including your phones – and sit down at the table to eat together. Devoid of distractions, you can discuss the topics of the day, about work, friends and family amongst others, while you eat and spent quality time together. Eating separately or engaged in watching television or on your phone throughout your meal can lead to people drifting apart in relationships.

Talk and Listen

When one or the other person has an issue in a relationship, whether it be with your partner, with work, with other people or financial issues, this person needs to be able to trust their partner to be able to talk about any problems and that their partner will listen, provide advice and not overreact. If this is the case then you’re sure to be onto a winner with your relationship that will go the distance.

What are your best ways of keeping the early stage loved up-ness from a relationship going long term?