Can Love Be Revived in a Dead Relationship?

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Relationships take time, commitment and nurturing. Work, family and other commitments can put your relationship on the back burner. Failure to put in the work often leads to a faltering of love. However, you're not ready to call it quits. Love can be revived in a dead relationship, but it takes effort and patience, from you and your partner.

Bring Back the Spark

Touching each other and flirting can revive the excitement you felt early in your relationship, says GoodTherapy.org in "Five Ways to Bring the Spark Back to Your Relationship." Compliment your partner and make him feel desired. Reminisce about the early days of your relationship. Share your favorite memories, look through old photos and discuss the way you felt. Set aside time for a new activity to bring enjoyment and fun into your relationship. For example, take a cooking class, go running or learn how to scuba dive.

Set Aside Quality Time

It's easy to get caught up in your daily routine and neglect the attention your relationship requires. Make spending time with your partner a regular priority. Set aside a "date night" and eliminate any distractions. For example, go out for dinner and leave your cellphones at home. Without quality time, communication with your partner will suffer, says HelpGuide.org in "Relationship Help."

Communicate Openly

Maintain an open line of communication. Make it a habit to discuss and resolve problems as they occur. Clear up any ongoing conflict or unresolved problems. Bottling up issues in your relationship can cause resentment, says the American Psychological Association in "Happy Couples: How to Keep Your Relationship Healthy." Connect on a deeper level than whose turn it is to wash the dishes or take out the trash. Discuss your innermost feelings, your hopes and your dreams. Get to know your partner again.

Laugh Together

Humor can help strengthen the bond in your relationship and help to resolve conflict, says HelpGuide.org in "Fixing Relationship Problems with Humor." Laughing together can create intimacy and allows you to be less defensive. Rent funny movies with your partner or recall inside jokes. Be playful with your partner, but be aware of her sensitivities. Be silly, make faces, dance around the house or tickle each other.