Quality Time: How To Find More And Some Ideas On How To Use It

The world moves at a tremendously fast pace. It’s virtually impossible to disconnect from work, social networks, media, news, even friends and family. Life is often an overload of emails, voice mails, instant messages, profiles, shows, kids activities, schedules, and the endless desire to know about what’s going on around you.

It’s far too easy to let the important things in your life slip through the cracks and get lost in the chaos. Days could go by without speaking to family members, or sharing deeper moments with your spouse.

Finding moments for quality connections in marriage takes planning. It requires intentionality. Quality time rarely happens by chance.

There are many things that can get in the way of finding moments together. It’s also possible that the time you spend together has become stale. Yes, even quality time can become routine. Perhaps some spice needs to be added.

The importance of quality time in marriage.

Spending time with the one you love is important in every relationship. While this may seem obvious, it’s these times of deeper connection that will sustain you during the lean times.

Quality time also presents the best opportunities for growth. Growth together and individually.

I believe we are designed for relationships, and relationships are the best place to grow up.

I’ve written this many times before… marriage is not about happiness, it’s about growing and developing into a better human. Happiness may come along at times and it’s most often found in quality time with your partner, but it’s your growth that enhances and sparks the relationship for the long haul.

Whether the quality time you create with the one you love is a few minutes each day, an evening a week, or a weekend away, all it takes to make this happen is commitment and choice.

Here are some ways to find more quality time and even a few things to do during the time.

1. Schedule the time each week
2. Give up your TV
3. Disconnect the Internet
4. Walk together in the evening, you can even take the kids
5. Send emails or quick messages to each other during the day
6. Listen to music (my wife and kids love this one each evening)
7. Cook dinner together
8. Stick to a bedtime routine with your kids (even have them go to bed early some nights)
9. Trade evenings with another family – watch their kids so they can be together and vice versa
10. Find a regular babysitter
11. Use your vacation time, even half days in order to be together in the afternoon
12. Play board games as a family, or with your spouse
13. Enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine together on the couch
14. Sit together outside and look at the stars
15. Read together
16. Play card games
17. Sneak away from a party or gathering and go make out
18. Dance
19. Snuggle together and watch a movie
20. Go to a movie and make out like teenagers
21. Reminisce about favorite memories together
22. Have dinner by candlelight, even with the kids
23. Hold hands often
24. Hug
25. Have lunch together during the week
26. Turn off the radio riding together in the car
27. Take a shower or bath together
28. Bike ride together, you can each have a headset for your phone and talk to each other the entire time
29. Have an affair with your spouse
30. Play poker, be creative with your betting
31. Leave little notes for each other around the house
32. Say “I love you”
33. Have a picnic, you can even do this in the living room
34. Go to bed early
35. Have sex

Add your ideas in the comments.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Corey is the editor of Simple Marriage as well as a licensed marriage & family therapist. While he has a Ph.D. in Family Therapy, he only occasionally likes to be called doctor. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe so you don't miss any future posts.