Anniversaries are for spending quality time with each other marking yet another year of your relationship. Ironically, such moments alone are usually in short supply, but not after weeks of lockdown!
Even if you have a happy and healthy relationship with your other half, if you have spent weeks cooped up together it’s more than likely cabin fever has long set in. When it comes to celebrating your anniversary together in lockdown, it can be challenging to view the occasion with any kind of enthusiasm.
If that sounds like you, then now is the time to shift your focus on the positives, and that is your partnership which has reached yet another milestone. As tough as it might feel right now, anniversaries are a ray of positivity we should still make the most of, not least when good times are something that’s in short supply right now. Here are our top 5 anniversary ideas to try during lockdown.
Prepare A Gourmet Meal
In normal times you’d book a restaurant table for your anniversary but that isn’t happening this year. Don’t leave things in the hands of the box of potato waffles that everyone has stuffed at the back of the freezer either. Not if you want there to be another anniversary anyway! While the idea of ‘cooking a meal’ sounds a bit dull, it doesn’t have to be. That’s because you can use it as an opportunity to brush up your culinary skills. There are thousands of tutorials showing you how to cook amazing restaurant grade dishes at home.
A notable example is the Gordon Ramsay Masterclass. While this isn’t free like the content you can find on YouTube, it is something that you can take your time to learn. Given time is exactly what we have too much of at the minute, it could prove to be a welcome distraction. Gordon is a seven-star Michelin chef, and he will teach you everything from the basics to perfecting dishes such as beef wellington and lobster ravioli. Neither of which you can get on Uber Eats, we’re sure.
Top tip: If you are celebrating away from each other this year, you could always buy the same ingredients and eat together over Zoom call instead. These times call for improvisation!
Create A Staycation
Usually, a ‘staycation’ refers to holidaying in the same area in which you live, but with covid-19 now it means setting up a little closer to home. Aka in it! Think about it, loads of us have our summer holiday plans dashed meaning we don’t have faraway plans to look forward to. So why not create a staycation in the living room or garden instead? It’s out there we know, but with the right attitude, it definitely can work especially when you want to lift your other half’s spirits during your anniversary spent in lockdown.
Now is a good time to think of any of your favourite travel destinations. You can even choose places you plan on going to once this is all over. From the clothes, food, music and scenery (props or Google images!) you can easily recreate the feel of your chosen location. The idea is to spend the time relaxing as a couple mentally picturing yourself elsewhere. There are many directions you can take this idea from a package holiday to Benidorm to skiing in the Alps or even a beach hut in Tahiti. You might have to get creative with some garden reeding here but this idea definitely can work!
Date Boxes
Keeping that initial spark alive in a long term relationship is challenging at the best of times. But with lockdown and being in each other’s faces all of the time, it may have become difficult to keep things fresh. An easy way to remedy this is to look for new ideas for how to appreciate each other such as trying a date box. The concept follows that of a regular subscription box, only you are given tailored items to help stay inquisitive about your other half.
A great place to find date boxes is on Etsy, which has the added benefit of supporting creatives during the lockdown too. Here you’ll find everything from retro throwback boxes to quiz cards. Some boxes have date ideas that you have to pick at random which helps to recreate that sense of freshness from when you first met. Date boxes can also be personalised which would make a great surprise for your other half, or even a gift for a couple who have an anniversary coming up.
Make A Couples Bucket List
While the lockdown is frustrating and limiting, it’s also a chance to hit the reset button. All couples dream of doing things such as travelling or buying a house together. Being honest though, how much of that do we actually get round to achieving? If this sounds like you then why not spend your anniversary making a bucket list of everything you want to do together? After all, if this pandemic has taught us anything it’s that life is both fragile and short. If you are lucky enough to be in a happy relationship, then it’s time to live life to the max, or at least plan to when things begin to return to normal. You can still make a night of it by eating a nice meal together or even watching a movie first.
A good place to start is to revisit any past ambitions you had when you first met. It’s so easy for life to get in the way, so think about what you have been putting off both as individuals as well as a couple. Ideas could include places to visit, financial goals or life milestones. Talking about ideas not only gives you something to look forward to but can also bring you closer together as a couple. Instead of these ideas just being wishes that stay that way, you are creating actionable steps to achieve them. Stick your ideas on the fridge or other noticeable places around your home so you actually will go through with them.
Attend A Virtual Experience
You’ve probably noticed by now that everything is closed and at best restricted. Who knows when we’ll be able to go to the pub or start attending gigs properly again. The good news is while lockdown continues, many artists and venues have started putting on virtual shows. A great example is Saturday Night Live at The Stand, who put on a free weekly comedy show. There are musicians up and down the country doing the same too, meaning you can choose something you both enjoy as a couple.
If you want to get creative, you can ‘invite’ your other half to the event in advance by making a paper invite. While making invites is more effort than texting, it helps to build some much-needed excitement. Depending on the event you could even set a dress code too, which for some will make a welcome change from PJs or loungewear. For extra special anniversaries, ordering a fancy hamper will add extra sparkle to proceedings. Be sure to make the setting as romantic as possible so you can truly enjoy the experience together.
Top Tips For Couples During Lockdown
- While it’s unlikely you’ll be working from home in a suit, try not to spend the entire time in loungewear if you can help it. Putting in some effort to look good for each other helps keep the spark alive, rather than feeling like you’re just roommates.
- Think before you speak! The pressures of lockdown are causing a wave of emotions in everyone right now. If you feel yourself getting frustrated, remove yourself from the situation before you say something you’ll regret in the heat of the moment. If you’re able to do some daily exercise alone, this is a better way to burn off stress than through a heated discussion.
- If you are having problems in your relationship because of lockdown, try to find things that will take the edge off such as a new hobby or Zoom time with friends. For deeper relationship issues, virtual couples counselling could offer the solution.
- Keep the communication flowing, especially if you are having a bad day. Work together to resolve any issues in a supportive manner and try not to put too much pressure on yourselves.
To Sum Up
Hopefully, the above ideas have sparked some creativity when it comes to anniversary ideas to try during the covid-19 lockdown. As much as the situation is both challenging and frustrating, your anniversary is still a special milestone which only comes around once a year. Now is a great time to try something different. By going back to basics and rediscovering what you both enjoy, the lockdown could even bring you closer together as a couple.
Are you celebrating your anniversary during lockdown? Be sure to leave a comment below with how you plan to spend your special day together!
