HOW TO SWITCH THE PASSION BACK ON

TO BRING back a spark to your relationship once more, start by putting limits on your use of smartphones, says

JO HEMMINGS, a psychologist and relationship counsellor.

We’ve got into bad habits that have eroded intimacy — creating firm boundaries when it comes to technology plays a crucial role in getting it back. She advises that couples:

AGREE a smartphone amnesty one or two nights a week, where phones are kept out of the bedroom. They get put on silent and charged in another room. Buy an alarm clock instead. It’ll feel strange at first, but without the distraction of your phone, you’re more likely to cuddle, which has a much higher chance of leading to sex than one last look at Facebook ever will.

CREATE the tech equivalent of a date night — one night each week where you both switch off your emails, turn off your news alerts and disconnect from social media at an agreed time.

Sex is about more than the physical act; it’s about emotional intimacy, too. That’s easier to achieve if you’re giving your partner your full attention, rather than the scraps of it that are left after you’ve finished with everything your smartphone has to offer.

TRY making mealtimes phone-free. And how about when you’re watching a film together? Relationships need plenty of face-to-face interactions if they’re to thrive in and out of the bedroom. That won’t happen if you spend more time looking down at your phone screen than up at your partner’s face.