12 Days of Self-Care | Date Night (Simplified)
Part of taking care of ourselves is taking care of our relationships.
When I’m feeling extra stressed and disconnected, it is almost always because Brad and I haven’t had enough one-on-one time together. We talk past each other, get frustrated because we feel so distant, and inevitably take it out on one another or on the kids in the form of snapping. Ugh.
But here’s the problem: date nights can be expensive. Hiring a baby sitter, going out for a meal or a movie or something, and sometimes getting a Lyft = $$$ that we don’t necessarily have. So, we have started relying on at-home date nights to connect. Sometimes that means making a fancy, parents-only dinner that we enjoy after the kids go to bed. Other times, it means playing scrabble and eating popcorn. And then there are some nights when we just need to snuggle under a blanket with a good movie and a cup of tea. Sure, we have the occasional date night out when we head to a local brewery or our favorite ramen joint. But that’s a rare occurrence these days, which is OK because we have figured out ways to make it work without going broke.
Do you need to be married for this form of self-care? NO. Date night can be with a friend or family member and that is equally as important. We all have more than one person in our life that we need to feel a connection to.
Why date nights are important:
Allows us to slow down and connect with our most important people.
Breaks up the pace of the day-to-day grind with something that feels special.
Helps us to feel loved and cared for.
Focused time together takes us out of our normal routine, which can often involve time spent apart or simply staring at the television rather than fostering connection.
How to get started:
If you haven’t already started a regular date night with your partner or friends/family, here are some tips to get it going on the regular.
Get it on the calendar! Make that time set in stone and plan ahead for it.
Make a meal together. If you work side by side, you are sure to have more fun and feel less stressed. My favorite book for date nights is Date Night In by Ashley Rodriguez. The next one I want to explore is 30-Minute Cooking for Two by my friend Taylor from Greens & Chocolate.
Make a list of date night options to choose from. You can do this on your first date night in! Just sit down and brainstorm easy and fun ideas together. If you need a little jumpstart, think back to things you did when you first started spending time together and tie that into the evening.
One rule: no screens allowed! Stick your phones in a drawer and just forget all about them for a couple hours.
Spending one night a week with your person can make life much easier. How do you make sure to connect with the people you love and lean on most?
