10 WAYS TO REVIVE A LATE LIFE MARRIAGE

1 DON’T make assumptions about your partner’s likes and dislikes. You’re both changing all the time. 2 MAKE separate lists of activities you would like to do together, from big adventures to smaller outings and pastimes. Then compare notes and pick at least two things from each other’s list. 3 LIMIT time in front of the TV. Try playing cards or a game; it’s not much more effort than watching telly, but it sparks a different way for the two of you to communicate. 4 PSYCHOLOGY professor Ellen Langer advises: ‘Notice five new things about the person you live with. All of a sudden they become more interesting.’

5 READ aloud to each other. It could be from a novel you’re reading, the newspaper, or even a poem. 6 DR SABAH KHAN advises: ‘Imagine you’re explaining how you got together and what you liked about each other.’ Think about the music you used to listen to and the dates you went on when you first met. 7 DON’T put yourselves under pressure to make love. Focus on touch instead. 8 GO TO BED at the same time. Or, if you’re heading off to bed before your partner, tell them so they know you haven’t just gone for a bath. Simple communication helps. 9 SET aside a specific time once a month to check in with each other and talk about the relationship. Try taking a long walk together. It’s often easier to have deep discussions side by side, than across a table. 10 WATCH a film that deals with issues you want to talk about. It sounds obvious, but it can be an effective way to kickstart a discussion about the difficult stuff.