Unplug: Simple Tips to Tune In to Your Marriage
Tune in to one another and tune out from the tech with these easy-to-follow tips.
BY KATIE AND CHRIS VANNIER

Ismael Nieto By turning off your gadgets you're able to be completely present with your spouse. “ You don’t have be engaged in conversation 100% of the time. Use the silence to enjoy just being present with each other.”

How many times have you been with your spouse and realized you have both spent the last 30 minutes staring at your phones or tablets? It’s a hard habit to break and now that our technology is so portable it can feel like an inescapable problem.

We are all guilty of giving our technology way more attention than our partners at one time or another. It is time to break the habit! We want you to unplug yourselves from the world and tune in to each other for an intimate evening together.

You may think you won’t survive if you leave your phone at home, but 10 years ago you probably didn’t even own a smartphone, and really how important is that Instagram post or Facebook status update anyways?

How To Get Unplugged

Pick a good day to be disconnected. Pick a day you know you have no commitments and there is little risk of work, family, or friends interrupting.

Out of sight, out of mind. Either go out for the day and leave your electronics at home, or turn them all off and put them away.

No Netflix, no TV, no going to the movies. This is about being engaged in each others company. If you're missing your Walking Dead marathon, consider the real world to have succumbed to an electronic blackout and enjoy the quiet—without the need to flee zombies.

Be 100% focused on each other and your surroundings. Go for a really long walk downtown. Or take a hike in the woods. Or go for a long drive instead. Try to avoid places where you might have to interact with other people, but enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of your surroundings, and each other.

Enjoy the silence. You don’t have be engaged in conversation 100% of the time. Use the silence to enjoy just being present with each other.

Get physical. Hold hands. Hug. Find a nice spot for a romantic kiss.

Build the sexual tension. Take the romantic kiss a little further and turn it into a full make-out session. Find a secluded spot to sneak your hands into naughty places. Whisper dirty thoughts to each other. Build up the tension so it explodes when you finally get home.

End the night with a bang. When you finally get home, don’t run for your phones. Your evening isn’t done yet. You know what to do! (We have a free sexy couples game you can download for inspiration).

This all seems so simple, but you will be amazed at how much you use your phone as a crutch during awkward or silent moments, even with the person you are most comfortable with. Take the time you would normally check your Facebook status to notice the new freckles on your partners’ shoulders or really appreciate the tree you are sitting under.

We suggest making this a regular event! In fact, make all your date nights with each other unplugged! You will be amazed at how much more you will start to notice and appreciate each other.

Chris and Katie are the Love Tripper's www.lovetripping.com. They have been together nearly a decade before getting married in April 2014. They believe that the key to a healthy long-lasting relationship is constant work and effort. The Love Tripper's share their advice on how to keep that sexy fire burning, avoiding pointless arguments, and finding a deeper love for your partner every day. Love is a trip, enjoy the ride!

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