Admit it: You’re driving each other crazy.
If you’re married and live on the East Coast, you may be questioning your wedding vows right about now. Sure, you’re in it in sickness and in health ― but what about through bomb cyclones from hell that slowly drive you both nuts?
This excerpt from a New York Times story pretty much sums it up:
To help keep your sanity as a couple and not go stir-crazy during these trying times, we asked marriage therapists to share advice for snowed-in spouses. See what they had to say below:
1. Start eating.
In an ideal world, you’d be at some new brunch place in the city, taking your first bite of fried chicken and sipping a Bloody Mary. But you aren’t living in an ideal world ― you’re living through a snowpocalypse, and you’re essentially under house arrest with the rest of your family.
If you can’t agree on anything else, you can all probably agree that you’re hungry. To that end, warm up those frozen tamales from Christmas ― or use the leftover cheese from your New Year’s party for a makeshift charcuterie board. If you’re really feeling ambitious, score brownie points with your spouse by making breakfast in bed.
Hey, you may not be at a hotel, but you can still get the hotel experience in small ways when you’re experiencing this weather, said Danielle Kepler, a marriage and family therapist. Figure out what food you have in your fridge and eat it in bed, wearing robes and your pajamas as if you received room service.
2. Put your cellphones, laptops and tablets away.
This one might send a shiver up your spine ― and it’s already so cold ― but hear us out: It’s kind of fun to put away all your electronics and see if your family could survive, Little House on the Prairie-style. You might even end up engaging with each other.
Consider your snow day an old-fashioned day, said therapist Amanda Stemen. Light some candles, home cook a meal, play some records, and enjoy what may come. Focus on one another, rather than on work or other distractions. Plus, doing something different like this increases oxytocin so it feels like you’re beginning something new and exciting.
3. Have sex.
This is perfect Netflix and chill weather. Taking off the sweats you’ve been wearing for two days straight may seem frightful, but the payoff is so very delightful, said sex therapist Celeste Hirschman, who co-authored the book Making Love Real: The Intelligent Couple’s Guide to Lasting Intimacy and Passion.
You both might be very hesitant to get naked, but grab a blanket; there’s lot of sexy fun you can have while bundled up, Hirschman said. I suggest wrapping your partner up in that warm blanket and giving them some great oral sex down below.
Woah, this bomb cyclone just got a whole lot bomber.
4. Divide and conquer when it comes to cleaning.
Sure, it’s not the most fun idea on this list, but face facts: Your home has been a total pigsty since the holidays, and now you’re stuck living in it. Get busy cleaning.
The best part of tidying up? It could lead to some of that sexy time mentioned above. A 2015 study from the University of Alberta found that couples who divvied up chores had higher relationship satisfaction and more sex than couples who didn’t mutually contribute.
Read full article on huffingtonpost.com
