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Millions of couples across the country cannot remember the last time they went on a “date” together and almost one in five people in relationships only manage to do so twice a year.
By neglecting regular date nights, they could be risking their relationships because the majority of couples (78 per cent) believe they are less likely to split up if they make time for each other, according to a new survey by OnePoll.
Yet despite the widespread belief that date nights are good for a relationship, more than one in three (39 per cent) of Britons cannot remember the last time they went out with their partner.
Relationship experts are urging couples to ensure that they have regular date nights to increase the chances of staying together.
Two-thirds of Britons who are in a relationship do not have a regular night out with their partner, and just one in 20 have a designated date night with their other half.
Almost a fifth only manage to coordinate a date night once every six months, and one in 10 admits to never going out with their partner.
When couples do spend quality time together, unsurprisingly, dining out is the most popular option. Most of those who regularly eat out together (69 per cent) report feeling happier and less likely to separate, according to the poll of 1,000 Britons in relationships conducted this month.
Commenting on the findings, Arabella Russell, a Relate counsellor, said: “With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s all too easy for couples to miss out on those special nights together. But it’s important to acknowledge how restorative and beneficial spending regular quality time together can be.”
Ms Russell, who is also a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, added: “You don’t necessarily need to be regimented to a specific night each week, but having a date night is an essential investment in the well–being of a relationship.
“A date night is about showing your commitment to the relationship and carving out some time to spend together. It’s also about having fun and bringing the romance back – it can be a really enriching experience.”
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Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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Sean Gallup/Getty Images
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Rex
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Caiaimage/REX
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Eye Candy/REX
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Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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ANDREW COWIE/AFP/Getty Images
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Mood Board/Rex
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INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images
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PIERRE ANDRIEU/AFP/Getty Images
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Rex
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Rex
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Ella Dawson
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REX FEATURES
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Rex
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Susannah Ireland
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PlaceIt/Just Another IKEA Catalog
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Getty Creative
Love and sex news: in pictures The secret to an eighty year marriage Figures from the Office of National Statistics show that 42 per cent of marriages in England and Wales end in divorce, and the average British marriage which ends in divorce lasts 11 years and six months. Helen and Maurice Kaye, now aged 101 and 102, have been married for 80 years, and say the secret is: “I think it’s important to have patience and tolerance. You're two entirely different people who suddenly live together, which can't be easy. But if you love each other, you get over the difficulties.”
Love and sex news: in pictures Valentine's Day porn Pornhub saw a (slight) drop in traffic on Valentine's Day as people focused on pleasuring their partners rather than themselves. Everywhere, it is, except for London. Overall UK traffic dipped 3 per cent across the UK, with Plymouth and Oxford seeing the biggest drops of 11 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. In fact every major city spent less time watching porn bar London, the Pornhub audience for which grew by 2 per cent.
Getty
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Love and sex news: in pictures Questions that determine if you're in love The existence of love and its nature is something that has troubled philosophers for centuries, but a pair of scientists believe they have a set of questions that yield "clear empirical evidence" of it, or at least whether your relationship will end in divorce. They are: 'How happy are you in your marriage relative to how happy you would be if you weren't in the marriage?' and 'How do you think your spouse answered that question?'
Columbia
When it comes to what couples most enjoy doing on date nights, eating out together somewhere special is cited by more than half (56 per cent). But around four in 10 couples counted staying in with a takeway meal among their date options.
Going to the cinema is also a popular option, but watching football matches or other sporting events is the least attractive option. Fewer than one in 20 couples opt for this.
Yet couples wanting to spend quality time together have several obstacles to overcome – financial problems, long working hours, and lack of energy are the most commonly cited drawbacks.
The majority of couples (66 per cent) claim that the quality of their relationship improves when they do make time for each other by going on a date night.
And almost half (49 per cent) of those who go out with their partners at least once a week are “very happy” in their relationship and less likely to divorce.
One in seven of new parents feels particularly time poor, according to the research. And long-term married couples are the least likely to make time for a regular night out, with one in four of those married for more than 10 years not seeing the need.
Karolis Jasinskas and Sandra Janulyte make an effort to go out on date nights
Joe Steele, chief executive of Bookatable , the restaurant booking website that commissioned the research, commented: “It’s amazing how many couples forget to clear their schedule and just treat themselves to a night out with their other half. But it’s clear to see from our research that those couples who do make time for one another regularly really see a difference in the quality of their relationship.”
“Eating out is such a great way to spend quality time together and reconnect.
“I think it is true that the couple that eats together stays together. There are so many fantastic restaurants out there, both old and new, which are just waiting to be discovered.”
‘If it’s a weekend, we make the date last a whole day’ Karolis Jasinskas and Sandra Janulyte, both 28, have been married for a year.
“We like to go on date nights because first and foremost we are each other’s best friend and we like to spend time together,” he says. “We also have busy day jobs. Going out together is our way of regrouping as a couple and treating each other to something special ... If it’s a weekend, we make the “date” last the whole day ... see where [it] takes us – which could be coffee-tasting, an exhibition or a lovely restaurant. As we live in London, good weather and picnics in a park are a luxury. If it’s raining, we grab a board game and a glass of bubbly, or go to the cinema.”
Jonathan Owen
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