Based on Garcia-Rada and colleagues in 2019, a couple’s routine is an activity that a couple does together regularly, repeated over time, and it is a habit or a task that must be completed. Moreover, couples’ routines can provide stability in the relationship and, more importantly, may not always be bad for relationships.
Routines include communication about things that should be done. It involves a momentary time commitment so that once the activities are finished, there is little if any, afterthought (APA, 2002). Some of the couples’ routines you can do with your partner can be like waking up together, having breakfast together, doing the house chores, looking after the kids or family members, having routine family time, and many more.
For instance, you may not notice how important it is for someone to sleep beside you every day, but that is something you need to be grateful for. This routine seems normal but there is a sense of stability when you know that someone you love is by your side.
In this article, we will guide you through the importance of having couples’ routines and some advice for you to avoid monotony in a relationship.
The importance of couples’ routines
Your routines can help provide stability and security. In a relationship, a set routine can reassure each other that you can achieve whatever you want. Whether a couple is feeling cheerful and cherished or somewhat deficient, starting a routine is an effective method for recreating how you show each other love steadily.
The routines can give you continuous social help, social association, emotional nurturing, and regular communication (Greef, 2015). Visiting relatives, having date nights, and spending time with the kids or other family members — these activities can be an emotional anchor that can balance your life.
Dealing with the monotony in couples’ routines
When a relationship has been going on long enough and you are used to doing the same things with your partner, there is always the risk of boredom.
A researcher, Greenson, in 1953 described that feeling bored exists because of the state of dissatisfaction and disinclination to action, feeling of emptiness and passiveness that can lead to a distorted sense of time in which time seems to stand still. One of the challenges of couple routines might be the monotony. Nonetheless, there are some steps that you can do if you are dealing with monotony in your relationship routines:
Understand the rut, and fix it step by step
Worrying that your relationship will turn out to be routine does not mean that you need to take a step back in the direction of what you have done so far. Finding little ways to change your mindset can effectively affect your relationship. Every day you can reflect on what you do and how you could do it in any other way. Understand the problems and try to fix them step by step in the best way that works for you both. For example, rather than having dinner at home every day, you can have a date night of dinner and movies or invite your friends to join.
Be spontaneous with what you want
Monotony can be solved by doing something different instead of routine activities — anything that can immediately breathe life into a relationship. You can try to buy ice cream, go to the cinema together, and many more. Even for simple things, you can just be honest with your partner. This activity can help break the boredom.
Your routines with your partner are important in a relationship however spontaneity is also just as important. Remember that authentic expressions play a significant role in the quality of your relationship, therefore it is important to check over time that you are not implementing automatic mechanisms of your routines with your partner.
Get the spark back into your relationship
It is very common that from time to time you might feel boredom and monotony in your relationship with your partner. It is a common process that every relationship goes through due to lack of communication and dissipation of intimacy.
Getting the spark back in your relationship might be a good step. Showing your affection to your partner is just a key ingredient in a relationship. Physical affection, like consistent kisses and hugs, can bring the spark back. Not only that, but it can also reduce stress, improve moods, and help you both to feel secure and confident, keeping your bodies and psyches in sync with each other. More importantly, physical affection can facilitate conflict resolutions in your relationships (Gulledge et al, 2003).
Be creative in your relationship
Remember that creativity is proposed as a way to keep heartfelt enthusiasm alive in your relationship. That means creativity can help us put new ideas in to solve monotony problems (Peppercorn, 2020). If you feel like you are feeling bored and doing something regularly makes you stressed out, you can take this as an advantage to build communication with your partner. Being honest and embracing your emotions, also communicating about them with your partner can enhance your communication in the relationship.
Trying different or new things in your relationship is one example of practicing creativity. For example, discuss any interesting moments that you have on a day, and share any funny, good, or bad things that can enhance your and your partner’s mood. Ensure that something different happens at least once a day to help rekindle the relationship, and to remind the other person that you consciously love your partner and want to be with him/her (Wilson, 2021). Remember that it’s the little things that count. You do not need to do big things to be creative.
In conclusion
Despite the good things you might achieve from couples’ routines, they can also lead you into monotony. You should become more aware of this risk when establishing routines. Therefore, you should understand the importance of couples’ routines but also know how to deal with the monotony, if that happens in your relationship. These strategies can help you to grow in your relationship instead of avoiding the monotony itself, which is very likely to happen in a relationship.
If you would like to learn more about couples routines, visit the Relationships Science Labs. Based on the research of the Institute for Life Management Science, the lab produces courses, certifications, podcasts, videos, and other learning materials. Check out the Relationships Science Labs today. 
Photo by outsidethccn dsgn on Unsplash