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The world is moving at a hectic pace. There is a race to get ahead in all fields in life, especially if they are career related. This leads to more work hours at odd times and no predictable breaks in the frantic schedule. The promise of more money can lead to crazy working hours which may not gel well with the work schedule of a partner. Does that mean that you can kiss any intimate relationship good bye? Not really as staying connected with your partner is only as difficult as you make it seem. Here are a few helpful hints to keep the relationship on an even keel. 

Eat one meal together every day

The key to staying intimate is spending some time together. This can be achieved each day by simply ensuring that you eat one meal each day together. The shared meal can be at home if the two of you have a common meal that your work schedules allow you to eat together. Or one can go to the other’s work place during lunch hour and eat together at an eatery close by. Even more intimate would be the partner taking a home cooked meal to the partner at work. No matter what the meal consists of the conversation and the effort taken to be together for the meal is invaluable. The family meal of dinner eaten together was responsible for more than one joint family staying together. Surely the two of you can manage to keep up this tradition by eating one meal together. It could be breakfast or lunch as well. The only rule is that you eat together and share conversation.

Make regular dates with your mate

It does not have to cost an arm and a leg to go on a date with your spouse. A dinner and a movie are an easy date to arrange. Surprise them with reservations to a fancy restaurant once in a while as well. Sometimes you can leave the meal out of it altogether and just go to a discotheque, a bowling alley, a skating ring, or for any other physical activity that you both enjoy. If you have children, try out some family fun classics like taking a picnic to the beach, or a popular public park. Try and keep a few dates between just the spouses though, so you can recreate the magic of the courtship period for at least a few hours in your busy lives. Keep it fluid and unpredictable, so that there is no sense of disappointment if you cannot make it on a particular week.  This will help you avoid being frustrated if you want to do something each week and can’t manage it.

Write each other notes and leave them on the fridge

There is nothing more romantic than finding a romantic note left on your fridge door by your spouse. It brings home the fact that they were thinking about you in their busy schedule and wanted to let you know how much they loved you. If sappy “I love you” notes on post-its’ are not your kind of deal think of other things that work, like leaving a rose on the dressing table, or a candy on the pillow or even a new pack of their favorite shower gel in the bathroom. Dedicate a song to them on a radio show that you know they listen to. Send an e-card to their email id, or even a sweet text message to their mobile phone. The bottom line is to make your spouse aware that you are thinking of them even when you are not together. Take a simple gesture that conveys this sentiment and make it your way to show affection for your spouse in your absence.

Spend one hour together each week when both of you are awake

All too often when the two of you are together, one may be about to fall asleep while the other is bright and perky. Try and schedule one hour each week when both of you are awake. Make use of this time-out for intimate conversation and more. Make this time a fixture in your week that is never to be violated. No work emergency should ever affect this time that you have set aside for your spouse. And no matter how tempting it is, try and not plan any date or outing during this time as well. This time is meant for you to bond and reconnect over the frantic work schedule that both of your maintain. Make it sacrosanct. It is the effort you put into spending time together that will make that time together special.

Try and schedule both your off days together

There is no long vacation waiting to happen each month, but you can still manage to spend time together if you plan your off days together. It doesn’t matter that both of you are too exhausted to go out and do something, just lounge around the house together. Spend time playing indoor board games or something more intimate. Sit and watch your favorite television shows together. Get together in the kitchen and assemble a meal if you enjoy cooking as a couple. If you hate cooking, just order home delivery. You can even plan on small excursions to close by places of tourist interest if that excites both of you on these days. It will give you time together and build on your relationship as you work as a team to organize a pleasurable outing.

Feature Writer: Cashmere Lashkari