In a perfect world, life would be like a romantic comedy. Each interaction with your partner would leave you weak kneed, and you’d never silently plot their murder while they keep you awake with their snoring at 3am.

Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. Here are some top ways you can keep the romance alive in your relationship anyway:

Go on vacation

Most of us don’t even use our vacation days, which is downright sad. Plan an exciting vacation somewhere exotic, or even a romantic weekend away. Enjoy a romantic mini cruise for some serious reconnecting, or book a bed and breakfast for a weekend and turn your phones of for some serious intimacy. Often, it can be easy to forget to spend time together one-on-one. When you go on vacation, you’re creating exciting memories you can look back on, and giving yourselves time to reconnect without all the outside distractions.

Carve out time

When you first begin a relationship, the excitement of a new partner can ensure you prioritise time together. When this urgency naturally disappears, it’s easy to begin feeling comfortable in your relationship. This mean that time together doesn’t become such a priority. And it’s tough to find time when you’re taking care of your family, working, and dealing with the ups and downs of life. But it’s important to prioritise time together if you want to keep the romance alive. Carve out time regularly, whether this means having a date night once a week, or committing to dinner together (without the TV) every night. Take the time to actually talk together and reconnect.

Do new things

If your go-to date is dinner and a movie, it’s time to change things up. When you do new things as a couple, oxytocin is released in the brain. These are the chemicals that help you feel those butterflies when you’re in a brand new relationship. Try out a new relationship, go hiking, or call in sick to work and have a picnic in bed. This will help ensure your relationship doesn’t feel stale.

Learn something new

Taking a class together is a good way to get out of a rut. This helps you discover new things about the person that you may not have previously known. Try a sports lesson like tennis or even kickboxing. Or consider learning a language or taking a cooking class.