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How Couples Steal Alone Time During The Holidays

• November 12, 2018
• by Natasha Burton

The holiday season has all the trappings for romance: festive lighting, delicious food, gift-giving and cozy weather. But actually being able to take advantage of the spirit of the season as a couple can be a challenge: As to-do lists grow and time seems to move faster, holiday-related tasks and family obligations can force many twosomes to temporarily put their relationships on the back-burner.

But you don’t need to forgo romance for the next few months—far from it, in fact. The following ideas will help your union come alive (and thrive!) during the holidays.

• Pencil in date nights
  Make time for each other by literally making time for each other. Block off one night a week for reconnecting, even if it’s just the two of you sitting at home watching a holiday movie. If you don’t schedule time together, you may not get much of it, especially if you’re planning on traveling a lot over the holidays or have increasingly busy work schedules this time of year.
• Take advantage of holiday parties
  Attend gatherings with friends and RSVP “yes” for your respective work-sponsored parties. Instead of looking at social obligations as, well, obligations, see them as opportunities to get dressed up, sip a festive cocktail and hit the dance floor together. Yes, you’ll need to mix and mingle a bit with the other guests (and potentially your boss) but you’ll also get quality time together.
• Start new traditions 
  If you find that you don’t get enough alone time with your sweetie, create a holiday-endorsed way to do so. Decide that you’ll pick out pumpkins, shop for a Christmas tree or bake challah together. Whatever holidays you celebrate this time of year, use them as your chance to start new rituals for just you two.
• Volunteer your time
  Give back, together, by volunteering for a cause that matters to you. If your family is on your case to attend yet another holiday gathering, using the excuse that you’re wrapping presents for underprivileged kids or doling out portions at a soup kitchen will more than fly—and it may inspire others to donate their time for the greater good, too. After all, while the holidays seem to be all about fun and indulgence, they’re really about giving back to those who aren’t able to enjoy these perks of the season.
• Offer to run errands
  If you find yourself stuck at your parents’ or in-laws’ during the holidays and alone time is scarce, steal time away by going on a grocery run, dropping the kids off at school, or doing any other tasks that need to be done. While you’re out and about, you can grab a coffee and reconnect.
• Shop together
  We all tend to do a lot of shopping over the holidays. Instead of running to the toy store on your way home from work, or holing up with your laptop to online shop, make it a couple’s affair by brainstorming gift ideas together and setting aside some time to pick them out and then wrap them. This will make an often arduous task more fun.

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Natasha Burton

Relationship expert Natasha Burton is the author of four books: 101 Quizzes for Brides & Grooms, 101 Quizzes for Couples, 101 Quizzes for BFFs, and The Little Black Book of Big Red Flags. When she's not writing, she's likely doing yoga, baking, or watching The Bachelor.

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