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Maybe you've just tied the knot, or perhaps you'll walk down the aisle in 2014. Either way, make it the best year yet for your relationship by picking some healthy couple resolutions and letting them be your guide for the new year ahead. Here are our favorite six:
1. We will laugh more. Maybe this means going out to a karaoke bar together and singing your lungs out, or having a date at a comedy club, or just sharing something that you found funny in your day—whatever it is, find a way to laugh more together and be purposeful about it. When you laugh, your body releases feel-good hormones, which not only make you feel happier, but also help you feel closer to your husband.
2. We will do something big and daring—together. A rock climbing adventure? Swimming with sharks in a caged tank? Running a half-marathon? Think of something big and slightly daring this year and commit to doing it together. Experts say that taking risks together and feeling the adrenaline rush that it gives mimics the feeling of falling in love.
3. We will learn together. Whether it's signing up for French lessons, taking a cooking class, or reading a book together and discussing it book-club-style, learning together keeps your relationship fresh and new and ensures that you're not bound for the pitfall of many marriages: stagnancy.
4. We will hold hands more. It's one of the easiest, simplest ways to show him you love him, and yet as time goes on, most couples find that hand-holding becomes less frequent. This year, resolve to reach for his hand in the car, under the table at the restaurant, and everywhere in between.
5. We will face each other in bed. After long days, many couples find themselves turning away from each other before slipping off to dreamland. But, here's a secret of happy couples: They face each other. No, it doesn't mean you have to have sex when you're tired or not in the mood, but connected couples know that facing each other, even for a few minutes, before bed is key to lasting intimacy.
6. We will give each other more freedom. You know the old saying, "when you love something, let it go?" Of course, we're not suggesting that you're letting each other go, but giving each other space to be, pursue personal time, and to grow as individuals is one of the healthiest and most generous things you can do for the person you love, it can also have a hugely positive effect on your relationship because with trust comes great love. We dare you to try it this year. Maybe it means you taking a solo trip to the spa for the weekend, or encouraging him to take that trip to Las Vegas with his best friends.
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