The Link Between Date Night & The Flu

Did you know that there may be a way for you to keep the flu at bay just by prioritizing date night! Just by setting the time apart and actually going on the dates can be a game changer. Sound too good to be true? In this episode, I spill the tea on how to make it happen and share insights into prioritizing quality time with your spouse! We are talking the power of managing your busy schedules, and incorporating some fun, unique ideas into your date night routine. Setting apart time for date nights can help you experience more JOY as you are trudging through the grind of the day to day. 

Listen in for date night ideas from A to Z and discover how intentional connection and a less grind-focused approach to life can make all the difference. 

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Here’s to more intentional connection and less grind … 9 minutes at a time!

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Boosting Immune System Through Date Nights

Speaker 1 0:04

If you had a dollar for every time you heard yourself or someone else say I don't have time for that , you'd probably be rich . I know life can feel like a circus , especially when you're trying to juggle it all , and I know what it's like to be pulled in a million different directions and to feel like there's never enough time to do all the things for all the people . But I really believe that what you want is possible . It just requires some decision making and intentional action . You truly can't make time or find time . You have to set it apart , and I'll show you how to make big moves and take game changing action nine minutes at a time . I'm Jennifer Seiss . I love helping impact-oriented women run their home life and business , gain traction in their day to day and have more time with the people they love the most . My heart is to share what I've learned along the way and help you get more of what you want out of your life and work . Every episode is designed to get you on your way to a quick win . So grab your favorite beverage , pull up a chair and let's start making more of your time . Hey there , and welcome to episode six of the In Nine Minutes podcast . I'm Jennifer Seiss and I can't wait to connect with you for the next nine minutes . Did you know that you can boost your immune system on date night ? Research actually shows that real connections are associated with improving your health and setting you up to live a longer life , and I truly believe that connection fuels every area of your life , every single one Family , health , work , faith , school , you name it and I believe that connection fuels it . And today I want to talk to you about how you can boost your immune system with intentional connection , specifically on date night . Date nights are such a great place to cultivate real connection and , as I mentioned before , boost your immune system . So if you're trying to conquer the flu season , this is for you .

Speaker 1 2:07

Date nights can be the launchpad for deepening bonds and improving communication skills and , let's face it , we all need to improve our communication skills . They can be the launchpad for having fun and enjoying each other and all of the essential pieces to keeping your relationship strong and healthy , and prioritizing date nights can change the game for your relationship and , spoiler alert , they don't have to be fancy . Date nights are often the first thing to go when life gets busy or your plate gets full and let's face it , life is busy . We all have a lot going on , we all have full plates and it can feel like a circus , but being intentional about connecting with your spouse will go a very , very long way , and investing time here is truly invaluable . Date nights don't need to be fancy , as I mentioned before , or a big to do , but setting apart the time is the ticket . Remember you can't make time or find time . You have to set it apart . Studies have shown that couples who commit to date night communicate with one another more effectively , have a strong sense of commitment and experience an improved sense of romantic and intimate love , and date nights boost stability in your marriage . In fact , studies even show that couples who commit to regular date nights are 14% less likely to get a divorce and they feel more settled in their relationship .

Speaker 1 3:46

Again , you might be thinking but we're so busy , date nights are expensive , and the list could go on and on , but I am not going to plant any seeds that can grow into excuses when it comes to date night here . I am just going to share some ideas on how you can make it happen . You can do things like have pizza on your patio . You can order pizza . Pick up pizza , make a frozen pizza . You could have a special dessert at home after your kids go to bed . Those little things can be game changers . Time set apart for coffee on your patio on a Saturday morning can make a big impact . And if your kids are grown , date nights are really important , even if you're together alone every single day , because even when you're alone together are you really together . The ticket to date night is the time set apart for the two of you together . So I want to encourage you to lean into that , and here are some tools to think about and some ideas that might make date night a little easier . One schedule it out , put it on the calendar , put the babysitter make the reservation and get into a routine , declare every other Saturday night date night , or Tuesday night for that matter . It doesn't matter what night of the week it is , you just need date night . And when you set it apart , when you get into the routine and you have this kind of declaration about which night it's going to be , you'll be able to rely on that time together and look forward to it .

Speaker 1 5:28

When you're treading through the thick of life , when you go on date night , ditch the mundane , get dressed up , go dancing and leave that regular every day behind . Even if it's just for two hours , it can make a huge difference . And when you have little kids especially , leave home at home . Try not to make your kids or your job or the house the topic of discussion . Right , try to keep your dinner conversation fun and playful and you can even do things like play 20 questions . Try something new .

Speaker 1 6:06

So something really fun that Greg and I did was we played rock paper scissors and what you do is you play rock paper scissors to decide what you're going to do on your date night and the first winner can pick where you're going to dinner . And then you play again and it can be to determine where you're going to go for dessert or which movie you're going to see or what you're going to do after dinner , and you keep playing the game on and on until you're done with date night . It is so much fun and the time that we did it , greg won every single time and for someone who feels like they make a lot of decisions all day , it was a huge gift to me that he won and he was making all of the decisions . And it was so fun too because they were in the moment , and you can do things like date through the alphabet . Keep a jar of 26 pieces of paper on your kitchen counter , labeled A to Z . When it's time to go on date night , pull a letter from the jar and if you go on a date night every other week for a year , you can date your way all the way through the alphabet . It'll be so much fun . You can try any restaurant , cook together , play pickleball , enjoy a fire pit , go for a walk , discuss a book you've been reading , make a book , make a bucket list , dream big , go on a picnic , go to a concert , take a cooking class and have fun with it .

Speaker 1 7:34

And here's a big one . Do your best to get rid of distractions and really connect , and another word for distractions is your phone . So do your best to get rid of distractions , otherwise known as your phone , and really connect on date night . Relationship expert Dr Laura Berman talks about the idea of going on living out the 2-2-2 rule , the 2-2-2 date rule , and she says that committed couples should go on a date once every two weeks , spend a week in a way every two months and take a week-long vacation every two years . Now , this might not be possible for you , but you can set apart two nights a month with at least two hours devoted to each other . You have a long list of ideas and you can set apart that time . And here's the pro tip Plan your next date night . When you're wrapping up the date night , you're on and then keep a running list of ideas to do in your phone so that you're not always trying to come up with something new . But you keep this running list of ideas and it makes it really easy to make the decision for your next date night .

Speaker 1 8:53

If you just can't seem to get a date night thing going , I want to encourage you to practice setting apart nine minutes a day to intentionally connect . Nine uninterrupted minutes can have a huge impact and you can ask each other one simple question what do you need from me today ? What do you need from me today ? And then you listen to their answer and then you try and take action towards that and then take a minute to encourage each other in some way . It really doesn't have to be complicated , it just needs to be intentional . Here's to more date nights , boosted immune systems , deeper connection and less grind . Nine minutes at a time . Thanks so much for listening today .

Ask Anything

Speaker 1 9:44

Do you have questions you'd love to ask , but don't because you aren't sure who to ask , or you'd rather not let the world in on not having it all together ? I get it . I get lots of questions all the time , from parenting to business development , to Bible study , recommendations to the best meal to serve a crowd and even how to navigate hard conversations . My husband and kids call me Google and since I'm a problem solver by nature and love research , it sort of fits . So I am so excited to answer your questions . You can share your questions with me by DMing me on Instagram at Jennifer Seiss and I'll answer your questions on an upcoming episode . So here's to more intentional connection and less grind . Nine minutes at a time .