Double dating could help put the spark back into your love life. Photo: Getty
Many people are no doubt expecting a romantic day today, but if you're in a relationship and the fizz has otherwise well and truly popped, socialising with other couples may help. That's the suggestion of US experts from Wayne State University, whose study appears in the journal Personal Relationships.
It's a path many couples have walked: you start out with heaps of passion and excitement, but the longer you date, the more routine and boring your relationship gets. But making friends with other couples could boost long-term daters, say the researchers.
The experts studied 60 dating couples and paired each couple with another. They were instructed to talk about a specific subject - some were asked to make small talk about everyday situations and activities, while others were given emotionally charged topics to discuss.
The researchers discovered those who discussed the more personal and emotional subjects became closer friends faster, thanks to the more intense interaction they were involved in during their discussions.
Not just that, but those couples also reported their friendship with the other couple had put a spark back in their own relationships, making them feel closer and more romantic towards their partners. The discussion they'd had, they said, had even made them learn new things about their own partners.
As a result, the researchers claim getting involved and having a laugh with another couple could be just what you need to make your own relationship more satisfying.
How do you keep the romance going with someone you've been seeing long term?