from YourTango.com | photo via Flickr

What do you consider your perfect date night? Is it having a chill night watching Netflix? Going to restaurants Lynchburg and being wined and dined? Do you like to do something adventurous? Well, my name is Amanda Chatel, and I’m excited about my date night!

A few days ago I signed my husband and I up for one of those drink while you paint date nights. A bunch of my friends have done it, and since my husband and I could agree on the fact that we’re both good at drinking, but bad at painting, it seemed like a great way to spend an evening together. You know, actually doing something, as opposed to doing the nothing that we usually do together. Our class is next Thursday, and I have to say, I’m pretty excited. I never thought I’d be excited about such a thing, but I am. My name is Amanda Chatel, and I’m excited about my date night!

My husband and I don’t really go out on dates; we never really have. I sort of tagalong with his friends or he tagalongs with mine, but as for mutually decided upon dates, we just don’t do it enough. Science says this is wrong. Science says if my husband and I want to step up our game, we need to spend our time doing “shared relationship activities.” I guess it’s a good thing I signed us up for that drink while you paint class, before everything fell apart.

From two different studies of more than 350 long-term relationships, came findings that activities, in which the partners shared the experience, were really beneficial for the healthand overall quality of the relationship. It was these couples that reported greater satisfaction, less stress, and were even closer than those couples that just did “things” without “purposefully” engaging in activities. If only one half of the couple is having fun, and the other is just faking it, then no good can really come of it, because someone is going without. The study found that situations like that can actually lead to more stress within the relationship.

Although making the effort and finding the energy to actually plan a well-thought-out activity that you’ll both enjoy may seem trying at times, it’s a necessary part of having a successful relationship. Having fun and sharing a laugh outside of the usual walls in which you and your partner spend your time is essential in allowing for the relationship to grow.

Even if you don’t have the funds to go on a hiking trip or sign up for a class (that drink while you paint class wasn’t cheap!), it’s still paramount to find other activities that will interest you both and keep the love alive. Yes, by golly, you have to make an effort to keep the love alive!

This article originally appeared on YourTango.com: It’s Science: THIS Type Of Date Night Improves Your Relationship