How Starting A Couple Hobby Can Transform Your Relationship

Updated October 18, 2024by Regain Editorial Team

When you met your significant other, you likely already had interests and hobbies of your own. In a healthy relationship, you likely still spend time doing those specific activities. While it can be fun to get your partner involved in your existing interests, starting a new hobby together is something that has the power to transform your relationship completely.

Getty/AnnaStills
Can a couple hobby really change my relationship?

Although it is perfectly healthy to spend time away from your other half, it is entirely possible to spend too much time away from them. By picking up a new activity together, you can get some quality time together and learn something new simultaneously. While that is part of the relationship transformation, there is so much more that makes it worthwhile.

New joint couple hobbies transform relationships in four ways

If you're looking to start a new hobby with your partner, it will likely introduce more than just some additional fun to your relationship. Although fun is important in a romantic relationship, some big changes come with a new joint hobby that can improve the relationship in big ways. Those transformations exist in new commitments, relationship satisfaction, creating memories, and couple bonding.

Makes a new commitment to one another

Sometimes the commitment made to your spouse or significant other becomes part of everyday life. While there is nothing wrong with living out the promise you've made to one another, it can lose the excitement after some time. For example, after getting married, couples are excited to be newlyweds. That excitement and newness wear off, and although a couple might still be committed to their marriage, it isn't as exciting as it once was.

This is where a new hobby can bring excitement back to commitment. Whatever the hobby or activity is, agreeing to work on it or spend time learning about it together at least once a month is essentially making a new commitment. Since the commitment is regarding something that you both enjoy, it can be one that you look forward to getting to do together.

The commitment can also be found in the hobby search. If you don't know what activity you will be partaking in together, have fun finding one. Plan to do something new together once every month until you find a hobby that you both want to continue. Making that commitment and then another one when the right hobby is found allows for multiple points of excitement when in a long-term relationship.

Getty/AnnaStills

Increases relationship satisfaction

What is relationship satisfaction? In its most simple terms, relationship satisfaction is the level of positivity one associates with their relationship. Having a joint hobby is known to increase that positivity within the relationship—but how so?

One of the most obvious ways joint hobbies increase relationship satisfaction is by giving couples more time together. Couples that spend time alone together tend to be happier and have more fun. Fun in a relationship can increase passion and overall joy in life.

Another way that relationship satisfaction is increased is by decreasing conflict. Many couples struggle with finding a balance in spending time apart and time together.

Creates new memories

Maybe you feel like you used to have fun together, or you used to laugh together a lot. It is normal for things to change in a long-term relationship, but finding a way to create new memories together is a great way to transform your relationship.

Although recreating old memories can be fun, try something new that you nor your partner have done before. Discuss things your partner has always wanted to try but never have and see if there is any overlap with things you have always wanted to try. You could even go through a list of common couple hobbies and see if any spark interest between the two of you. The important part is that you find a new hobby to make some new memories.

Develops a different bond

When you and your partner first met, there must have been something that you bonded over. Maybe it was a sports team, music, or even how easy it was to talk to one another. It is important to maintain that bond over time, but it is also great to develop a new bond.

Many couples feel as though, after so many years, they have nothing new to talk about. As a result, communication becomes less and less until it can dwindle into almost nothing. An easy fix to this can transform the relationship: create something new to talk about!

By starting a brand-new hobby together, you and your partner can bond over something entirely different than anything from your past. You might do the activity together, read books about it and discuss them, or even watch movies and documentaries regarding the activity. It also opens up new opportunities for connection. For example, if you decide to learn a new language together, you might develop new study habits, watch foreign films, or take a trip to the country where they speak the language you're learning.

Activities that might transform your relationship

Getty
Can a couple hobby really change my relationship?

You might be convinced that a new hobby is exactly what you and your partner need right now. Whether that is due to learning about how it can transform your relationship or at the guidance of couples counseling, one of the following fun hobbies might be just what you are looking for.

Ceramics and pottery

Picking up an art together is a great way to spend time with each other. Working with ceramics allows each partner to create something on their own but right next to their partner. They can also create glazes together and discuss techniques.

Racquetball

This is a two-player game that allows you and your significant other to get competitive with each other. You might learn the rules together, watch some games on date night, and play as exercise. It is a sport that even allows you to destress, so it is a great couple hobby.

Cooking

Most people love to eat, so you and your significant other might enjoy learning how to cook together. If you are a TV dinner couple, learning the basics can help you create more delicious and healthier meals. Deciding which recipes to try, watching cooking shows, and going grocery shopping together provide many bonding opportunities.

Gardening

Starting a garden can be wonderful for couples. Not only will you save on your grocery bill, but you can enjoy learning how to garden year-round. You might even discuss ways of creating an indoor garden. There are many ways to branch out with this hobby.

Dancing

For many couples, passion is rediscovered with dancing. This activity can be incredibly intimate and sensual. Find dance classes near you and give it a try!

Sailing

If you live close to water, sailing can be a very fun hobby to pick up as a couple. There is a lot to learn, but once you master it, travel becomes more ocean-bound! For real one-on-one time, sailing is a great hobby.

Traveling

Explore the world together. Plan trips, budget, and spend more time in interesting places. If you want to travel but cannot afford luxurious trips, consider day tripping. You can discover fun places close to a home together.

Upcycle furniture

If you and your partner are handy or have an eye for design, upcycling furniture might be a hobby for you. You can go to yard sales together to find the pieces, discuss what you would like to accomplish with the chosen pieces and work together to achieve the desired result. It is a hobby that can also earn you extra cash, as upcycled furniture often sells for more than you put into it.

Online therapy for transforming your relationship

When you and your partner decide to commit to a new joint hobby, you may see the transformation begin right away, then continue as you learn more together and spend more time together. You and your partner will likely feel that your relationship is healthier, better at communication, and happier overall.

Because of the benefits of starting a couples' hobby, it is a highly recommended action for any relationship. Relationship counselors use this recommendation to improve several issues, from communication to resentment. If you feel that your relationship could benefit from a joint hobby but still need a little extra relationship help, seek professional help. A counselor or therapist might be able to help you and your partner in a variety of ways.

Many couples have chosen online therapy as a venue in which to work out problems. Online therapy can provide access to a therapist perfectly suited to your needs. If you've had difficulty locating a couples therapist in your local area, the net is much wider online.

Regain is a convenient, affordable online therapy platform. Once you're matched with a counselor, you and your partner can meet with that counselor via text, telephone, or in a video chat. You can meet anyplace you have an internet connection and at a time that works for everyone's schedule.

Takeaway

If you and your partner need to reconnect, remember that finding a new hobby to share may just do the trick!

For Additional Help & Support With Your ConcernsThis website is owned and operated by BetterHelp, who receives all fees associated with the platform.
The information on this page is not intended to be a substitution for diagnosis, treatment, or informed professional advice. You should not take any action or avoid taking any action without consulting with a qualified mental health professional. For more information, please read our terms of use.
Get the support you need from one of our therapistsGet Started
This website is owned and operated by BetterHelp, who receives all fees associated with the platform.