Turn on the radio or the TV and you can tell that we’re all a little crazy about falling in love. In fact, we’re obsessed.  And why not?  It feels AMAZING. It’s like your life has been amped up a notch and every day is exhilarating. Sound familiar?

The problem is it’s so exciting that when the bubble bursts and you settle into ordinary life again, it can feel, well, bland. But if you don’t want to ditch your dude and go chasing a new romance, what do you do? You try and get the spark back. All relationships need work and so does romance. Luckily Cosmo can help you fight the dreaded “we’ve become more like roommates” with a few smart ideas.

Keep the zing in your fling:

Put effort into your appearance. He may think you look beautiful when you’re nursing a makeup-free hangover in your trackies, but that doesn’t mean he wants to see you in them every day. Make an extra special effort with your appearance on dates – the same amount you made at the start – and see what an impact it has. Bettcha you get a compliment!

Be more affectionate. Our actions affect those around us and that includes how much we cuddle, kiss or nibble our BFs. Be more playful and affectionate and see how he responds back.

Touch without sex. Have a session where you just sit and slowly touch each other. Once you can’t hold back anymore, feel free to jump each other. This can break up the sex rut you may have fallen into and remind you both how much you still want each other.

Make out. When was the last time you had a proper make out sesh? Some relationship experts swear it can do more for a relationship than sex. We’re not so sure but it can certainly add some fire back in.

Random acts of kindness. Do little thoughtful things for him, no strings attached. Be nice, just because. It’s as easy as bringing him his favourite chocolate bar home from work.

Have a power cut. If you live together, you can confuse spending time together with being in the same room together watching the TV. There is a distinct difference in the quality. Remove all distractions, no TV, no lights, no music. Just the two of you, a couple of candles and good conversation (or not).

Go tandem bike-riding. Nothing says team effort like pushing a double-seated bike up a hill. Work together and even if you start fighting, the endorphin boost should start you laughing. Once you get some momentum, you can relax and enjoy the ride. Might sound silly, but doing fun things together (not just saving these for your mates) will really help get your spark back on. It doesn’t actually have to be tandem bike-riding, choose anything that you both LOVE doing, and do it together.

Think about when you first fell in love and what attracted you to him initially. After you go from “crazy in love” to just “in love”, you can start taking his quirks (that you adored) for granted. They‘re just the way he is, big whoop right? But they are the reason you fell head over heels for him. Give yourself a reminder of why you’re with him. In fact, a funny trip down memory lane might do you both some good.

Keep your sex life bouncing. Both you and your BF release a hormone called oxytocin during an orgasm. The hormone is responsible for making you feel closer together. Ergo, the more sex you have, the closer you should feel. Beside sex drive is like the brain, use it or lose it.

Make a date. Set aside time for regular dates - the old-school kind where there is just you and him and plenty of time to spend the evening together. Extra points if you both dress up.

Have some space. They say distance makes the heart grow fonder. Make sure you spend some  time apart so you can appreciate the time you have together.

You get out what you put in, so if you want to keep the spark alive, it’s up to you to fan the fire.