10 Ways to Make Your Relationship More Thrilling
The start of a relationship is stimulating, perilous, even a bit overwhelming, and we value every slightly unrestrained minute of it. "I’m crazy for him," we say. "He makes my heart pound." That early relationship enchantment comes from the high of discovery.
1. Scare yourselves silly
Medical experts equate the body’s fear response to sexual arousal — our pulse quickens and we break out in a sweat, which may explain why people voluntarily bungee-jump or descend full speed down glaciers on skis. We get a rush from being scared in a somewhat controlled environment, and when we do it with a partner, we’re brought together by the feeling of having conquered our fears hand in hand.
2. Spill a secret
Intimacy and thrills go hand in hand, which is probably why the initial getting-to-know-you period at the beginning of a relationship is so exciting. Our 2nd year anniversary would be in two days, and we always, go back to the first time we meet or the first time we’ve known each other. We agreed to be honest and swear “No SECRETS” BETWEEN US. He knows, all my past even though he always reminds me that it never matter to him. He also told me, his past. He wouldn’t venture to the parts where he thinks hurt me though.
3. Place a bet
You and your husband have $20 on Hootenanny to win in the sixth race. He rounds the far turn three back from the lead, but he’s closing in fast. The horses thunder past you down the stretch and Hootenanny wins by a nose! You jump into your husband’s arms and suddenly realize you’re having a blast. The adrenaline rush, the decadence of throwing caution (and a few bucks) to the wind and the slightly sleazy atmosphere of the track or your average casino all make gambling a great way to inject a little pizzazz into your relationship. Of course, you don’t have to wager your hard-earned cash to get the same effect: Try playing strip poker in your living room after the kids go to bed or going to a pool hall and betting on who has to make dinner for the next week.
4. Be a little daring
When I was in high school the "in" thing to do during the wee hours of a warm summer night was to sneak into the local pool and go skinny-dipping. Fear of getting caught in a compromising position is guaranteed to evoke some thrills and chills, and you can bring back that feeling as adults in small ways that won’t get you thrown in the slammer. How, you ask? The next time the two of you go to a movie, hide in the last row of the theater and fool around. Shelley, 24, of Nazareth, CDO, ups the excitement factor by showing (more than) a little skin: "When the mood hits and the weather permits, my boyfriend and I take naughty photos of each other in public places like the 2nd floor veranda."
5. Relive your first date
Your first date was a mystery that had yet to be solved. There were several juicy clues — the look in your date’s eyes, the way he kissed you — and plenty of nervous tension. But even though you know how that mystery turned out, returning to the scene of that first crime can bring back some of those old goose bumps. Sharon Alex, 38, of Lake Mary, FL, suggests you plan the evening exactly as you did the first time — same perfume, same innocent looks, everything. You can even dress separately and meet each other there, as Alex did: "I met my husband at a nightclub, and we danced and flirted. His arm around my waist made everything seem just right."
6. Cyber-romance each other
These days it’s far too easy for a chasm of cyberspace to grow between a husband and wife. He can spend hour after hour playing a computer game, and she can’t seem to get enough of her favorite blogs. But with a few quick clicks, you can use this very same technology to hot-wire your marriage. "With the accessibility of email," says Michele Weiner-Davis, a marriage and family therapist in Woodstock, IL, and author of Divorce Busting, "we can take the time to do things we wouldn’t ordinarily do, like sending love letters." One woman she knows decided that if her husband was going to spend all of his time surfing the Internet, she would express her feelings online. She emailed him a very personal romantic poem and got an amazingly romantic response.
7. See each other in a different light
Kristen Kiser, 30, of Astoria, NY, and her husband add a spark to their marriage by hosting Thanksgiving dinner for friends who can’t make it home for the holiday. "I get to see what Marc’s like in action, when he’s taking charge and acting the host," she says. "It makes me fall in love with him all over again." Says Los Angeles psychotherapist Suzanne Lopez, author of Get Smart with Your Heart, "Seeing your partner with different eyes has to do with letting go of preconceived ideas. It can really change the energy in a relationship for the better." Other eye-opening ideas: Consider taking a boxing class together at the gym, where you both might be a bit more wild and aggressive than usual, or dance lessons, where you might surprise each other with your grace.
8. Become a master of seduction
A little bit of forethought can awaken some of the passion in your marriage, even on an ordinary Tuesday night. Rob Czaplewski, 29, of Grand Island, NB, likes to get home from work before his wife and put a love note on the back door. "Then I have her favorite music playing with all the candles lit in the living room and a bed of pillows on the floor," he says, "and finally, the promise of a backrub to help her relax."
Jenna Schlehuber, 42, of Moran, MI, used a bottle of cologne to build temptation. She bought her husband a scent she really liked and had it wrapped. When he went upstairs that evening to take his shower, she left it on his pillow with a card that said, "Would you wear this tonight for me, and only this?" Says Schlehuber, "After a few minutes, I went upstairs to find him just the way I asked, waiting patiently for me to come to bed. What a romantic evening we had — better than ever. And he loved the cologne, too."
9. Profit from the passion
Sex is something relationship experts universally agree will bolster just about every area of a marriage — including its thrill quotient. "Increased sexual contact," says Lopez, "is a way to recapture the erotic force that brought you together in the first place." Weiner-Davis tells of one woman who, soon after resolving to have more sex with her husband, not only characterized her marriage as more thrilling but said that he suddenly began mowing the lawn regularly and making her coffee in the morning — unasked.
10. Take a trip to nowhere
At the beginning of your relationship, every date was an adventure; you never knew quite what was going to happen or how it was going to end up. So one weekend, take a trip — overnight or just for the day — without knowing where you’re going. No packing, no planning. Says Patty Moosbrugger, 35, of New York City, who’s been married for six years, "Every now and then we just grab sweaters and sandwiches and get on a train. We get out when we feel like it and spend the day exploring wherever we land." By letting go of some of the control you have over your lives, you’ll recapture that exciting sense of the unknown you felt when you first met.
Feature from "Redbook" Magazine (some parts are edited)
