For our last date night we went to see Cinderella and I loved it. It had been a while since we've seen a show together and it reminded me of the importance of having regular date nights.
Do you mind if I share with you some great reasons to keep date night alive?
If you'd like to have a stronger marriage, I encourage you to continue to date your spouse. Here's some points from an article that I found:
(1) A date night is an opportunity to communicate, really communicate uninterrupted, which helps couples “deepen their understanding of one another and the relationship.” Communication is important because “individuals continue to change,” and over time, “as they and their relationship develop, they experience new challenges and problems,” Wilcox and Dew point out.
(2) Date nights are valuable for their novelty. Researchers are discovering that “couples who engage in novel activities that are fun, active or otherwise arousing – from hiking to dancing to travel to card games – enjoy higher levels of relationship quality,” the report notes. In this way, couples counteract a tendency to take each other for granted. Couples, it says, “may be particularly likely to benefit from a regular date night if they use it as an opportunity to do more than that old standby: dinner and a movie.” And couples are encouraged to choose activities that represent “a balance of each partner’s interests, rather than tending to do things (novel or not)” that reflect the same partner’s preferences each time.
(3) The report says “date nights may strengthen or rekindle that romantic spark that can be helpful in sustaining the fires of love over the long haul.”
(4) Date nights may strengthen a couple’s sense of commitment to one another. The report says, “Partners who put one another first, who steer clear of other romantic opportunities and who cultivate a strong sense of ‘we-ness’ or togetherness are markedly happier than are less-committed couples.”
(5) Date nights are a way to relieve stress. They allow a couple “to enjoy time with one another apart from the pressing concerns of their ordinary life.” Date nights also may serve couples as an opportunity “to extend emotional support to one another in times of trial.”
*article found on focus on the family website*
I hope this was helpful, I enjoyed reading it and personally could not have written it better. One thing I would add is that date nights allow you to focus on each other and I would recommend having a great belly-laughing session together. Regardless, whether or not you and your spouse have stressful lives --laughter is a healing regimen. The Bible says that laughter is medicine for the soul and I thoroughly recommend laughing together. It has great healing powers.
Love, Melissa
