90 degrees, humid, sweltering heat. Sticky, sweaty, blazing hot. Those are the thoughts that come to mind for many when we hear the words summer heat. For some, what accompanies those thoughts is sultry music, passionate evenings, and creative ideas about what to do with all that heat! For others, the thought that comes to mind is “get away from me fool, it’s way too hot for all of that” and “these mosquitos are killing me and you’re about to get on my last nerve!” Ahhh, summer heat. How does the summer heat play out in your marriage?
For some, summer heat means outdoor concerts, picnics in the park, the beach or maybe even morning coffee on the deck. Yet for way too many couples, summer heat brings on a season of “pissivity.” In other words, sometimes the heat of the summer takes us even beyond that “last nerve” to the point where we can’t take it anymore. When it’s hot outside and the heat’s on inside too, it’s easy for us to take out our frustrations on the one we’re with most of the time. Add to that 15 months of being stuck at home together and there can be lots of friction. What comes because of friction? Even more heat! So here are a few tips on how your marriage can find relief from the sweltering summer heat?
(BTW, these tips work best if you both have received your virus vaccinations)
A Quick Getaway
Whether it’s the cool breeze of the beach or the open air of hiking the mountains, a great way to loosen things up in your marriage is to be intentional about the two of you spending time together away from home. If you haven’t traveled in 15 months, you probably don’t realize how much you need it and how much your marriage needs it. Don’t make excuses, just find a way to getaway.
A Staycation
If you need to watch the budget a little more closely, you can always plan a staycation. If you’re in the Atlanta area, there are so many places to go and things to do and see. What about grabbing a hotel or an Air BnB on a side of town where you’ve never really explored. We mentioned Atlanta, but no matter where you live, you’d be surprised at how much there is to do right up under your nose. You would also be surprised to discover how much fun your marriage can be when you locate new things to do right where you live. One of the benefits of this is when you come across new things to do together that you really enjoy right where you live. You can revisit that experience without having to travel.
Play Hooky from Work
Remember how much fun it used to be when you skipped school? Oh, sorry, remember how much fun those bad kids said they had when they played hooky from school? 😊 How about taking off Tuesday and/or Wednesday from your jobs? There’s nothing more random than taking off in the middle of the week and just doing whatever the two of you want. A movie at 1:00 in the afternoon. Stay up until 2:00 in the morning on a weeknight. Be creative or just do nothing together.
At the end of the day, it’s about changing up the routine and creating experiences in your marriage. Finding ways to keep the love flowing, keep the love fresh, and keep the love steady is ultra-important.
Here’s one other way to cool off from the Summer Heat (and learn more about “Pissivity.” Join us Saturday June 12th for The Heart of Marriage Retreat Free Virtual Summer Workshop: “Steady Love” The Ingredient to Building a Strong Foundation
Mike Watkins Atlanta, GA