4 Simple ways to keep love alive

Up the intimacy

Intimacy doesn't just mean sex (although that's important too). It can be a whole lot simpler than that. Just making an effort to touch each other more – a quick kiss, squeeze of the shoulder, grabbing his hand while you walk down the street – all of it counts and is a great way to feel closer to your partner. When you first start dating someone, constant touching is a no-brainer – you just can't help yourselves – but as the beginning stages lead into a full-blown relationship, some of the intimacy you had can fall by the wayside. Make sure that doesn't happen by remembering to let your guy know you care through touch.

Find romance in the everyday

You don't need a date night or a special occasion to act or feel romantic. In fact, one of the best and most effective ways to keep love alive is to start finding romance in the everyday. There are countless ways to make the most of all of the face-to-face time you have together rather than waiting for a specific time or place to connect.

• Instead of sitting in front of the TV eating takeout, light some candles, put on some music and eat at the table together.
• When you're on your way home from a store, make a pit stop at a cafe to grab some coffee and catch up.
• Rather than hitting the gym separately, go for a long walk or hike together.
• Make dinner together rather than one person doing all the work. Cooking together can be very sensual.

Make time for conversation

Talking about anything and everything – your past, your future, your families – is one of the best parts about the early stages of a relationship, but eventually that need to talk for hours at a time starts to wear off. That doesn't mean disaster, but it does mean you have to start putting more effort into finding time to really talk. Long days, stress at work and any other number of issues can start to get in the way of meaningful conversations with your man, but if you want your love to last, you need to find time to talk.

• Instead of watching TV all evening, designate at least 30 minutes a night to catching up on each other's lives.
• If you have plans for dinner or a movie, try and build in time at the beginning or end of your date to sit at a quiet bar or cafe to just talk and unwind.
• When you are together, make a point of asking questions about each other's lives. Find out what his plans and goals are, where each of you wants to go on vacation next, how you both feel about the top news stories of the week. The point is to get the conversation flowing.

Support each other

Making time to support each other in everything you do is a key aspect of keeping your relationship on track and thriving. Does your man play a sport? Go watch at least one game a month. Did he get a raise or promotion recently? Help him celebrate his accomplishment. The more you can do to show each other that you care about what's going on in your lives outside the relationship, the stronger your bond will grow. If you've got something significant coming up (a big race, family event, etc.) encourage him to join you or cheer you on. He may not realize you want him there, so make a point to let him know.

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