Keeping Your Relationship Alive in the Retired Years

When your kids are still living at home and you’re busy with work, your relationship with your spouse is part of your everyday routine. Everything can change once the children leave the nest and you retire. You have more time on your hands, which means that you have space to notice every little thing that your partner does. Whether you’ve been in a relationship for decades or are sparking a new one, you can still keep the romance going in your golden years.

Make Agreements

After we’ve lived with someone for years, we tend to take things for granted. In fact, we might even think that our partners should read our minds. No matter how long you’ve been together, you can’t always speak telepathically.

Making honest agreements about how you communicate, assigning responsibilities and being sure to take care of the other’s needs can make a long-term relationship run more smoothly.

Setting realistic expectations for the way you want to live in your retired years can help your relationship stay strong. This involves being open about how you want to behave together and separately. Resentment and disappointment build up when your partner doesn’t meet your expectations about household management, leisure activities, social interactions and family issues. Laying them out in a neutral way can ensure that you stay on the same page as your partner.

Explore

Remaining within your comfort zone doesn’t always spur romance and excitement. Discovering new things together lets you keep your relationship fresh. Even if you think you know everything about your partner, you’ll learn even more when you have new experiences.

Going on adventures helps you reaffirm everything you love about your partner, whether it’s his ability to support you as you go through challenges or the way that she encourages you to meet new people. You’ll continually have chances to practice new ways of communicating, and you’ll see the world with a different perspective together.

Pursuing your own interests can also strengthen your relationship. Spending time apart gives you something to discuss when you’re together.

Find a hobby or pastime that you’re passionate about. Make some friends who don’t always hang out as a couple. When you have your own space, you’ll find balance in your relationship and be more appreciative of the time that you spend together.

Find Your Fun

Laughing releases a dose of feel-good chemicals in the brain. Getting downright silly together can reduce stress hormones, improve your immunity and lower your blood pressure. Working your facial muscles even improves circulation, which helps reduce the signs of aging.

When you laugh, you release oxytocin, a hormone that’s responsible for helping build empathy. Giggling can help you maintain your strong bond.

Exercise

Sweating together can also help your relationship stay strong. Working out with your partner allows you to practice setting and achieving common goals. You can celebrate each other’s successes and keep each other motivated. The shared routine makes your relationship stronger.

Living in a 55+ community like Kissing Tree lets you do all of this. You can take part in organized activities or do your own thing. You can make friends together or separately. You’ll never run out of things to talk about when you’re surrounded by amenities and people that make this part of life’s journey fulfilling.