You might phrase it differently, but when you’ve lost romantic feelings for your spouse, you’re probably feeling something like:

• That spark’s gone. I feel like I’m just going through the motions.
• I’m not attracted to my spouse like I used to be.
• I love my spouse, but I’m not in love with them anymore.
• Over the years, we’ve grown apart. We’ve become different people.
• My marriage hasn’t turned out like I thought it would.
• There’s no passion. No magic. No romance. I just don’t feel it.

That romantic feeling is going, going… gone now. What happened?

First, we need to make sure we are talking about the same things when using words like romance and love. These words can mean a variety of things, and that makes discussing them difficult. Let’s get on the same page. This might bring some clarity to what you’re feeling.

Passionate Love

This will be our term for romance. It’s usually characterized by a strong desire to: 

• be around your spouse,
• please them,
• enjoy them,
• be sexually attracted to them, and
• overlook their flaws.

This is what people usually mean when they say they are in love with their spouse. 

Passionate love has a unique effect on your brain and body chemistry. Those fireworks! But some researchers claim passionate love naturally gives way to a deeper kind of love as your relationship grows. Other researchers argue that passionate love doesn’t have to fade. 

Passionate love might come and go, and romance might ebb and flow… but it doesn’t have to disappear from your marriage completely. You might have to be more intentional and purposeful to keep that romantic spark lit.

Compassionate Love

This will be our term for what people generally mean by the word love. It’s usually characterized by:

• deep feelings of security,
• emotional connection and intimacy, and
• best-friendship in your marriage. 

Some researchers call this companionate love. 

Compared to passionate love, this love is often considered more stable, mature, and steady. It doesn’t feel as fun, euphoric, or exhilarating as passionate romantic love. But this makes sense. Because researchers have found that this love activates different parts of the brain – even different body chemistry – than passionate love. So, yeah, it actually feels different.

Perhaps your relationship has undergone a normal transition. Maybe it’s been creeping up on you. Maybe it hit you all at once. It’s not a crisis, but it can feel like one if you didn’t expect it. Now you’ve gained some perspective and can be purposefully passionate moving forward. 

Perhaps conflict or circumstances have deflated your passionate love. This is less of a relationship transition you can accept and walk through… and more like relationship issues you can expect to work through. (Compassionate love can be the safe context to work through these issues.)

That romantic feeling is going, going… gone. Now, what happens?

You don’t have to pick between passionate love and compassionate love. Healthy, growing, long-lasting marriages have both. 

Explore the depths of compassionate love. Enjoy the heights of passionate love as you keep cultivating those romantic feelings. Here’s a practical place to start – back at the beginning.

★ Here Are Some Things To Think About And Try!

Okay, today, you don’t have romantic feelings for your spouse. Look at all your yesterdays. Take a step back, like, all the way back to your wedding day. Rekindle old feelings by reviewing old memories.

1. Remember Why You Married Your Spouse.

Many counselors and therapists recommend listing what attracted you to your spouse in the first place and the reasons you wanted to marry them. What caused you to fall in love? Remind yourself of why you’re grateful for your spouse. 

Take time to reminisce about the first time you met. How do you remember it? How does your spouse remember it? Similarly, talk about your first date. Can you recreate it? While on your date, talk through five things you appreciate about each other and your relationship. How did you get engaged? How did you propose/were you proposed to? What were the feelings surrounding that occasion? What was your wedding day like? Did everything go as planned? What were you feeling on The Big Day? What was your first year of marriage like? Share favorite stories. What were you naive about? How has your relationship grown since then?

Passion Power-Up:

You know your spouse better today, including their faults, annoying habits, and when they let you down. Yes, reality puts some big dents in romance. Reality also invites you to a deeper love that transcends romantic feelings and builds a stronger bond with your all-too-human spouse. This could be a huge marital growth opportunity.

2. Remember All The Things You’ve Been Through With Your Spouse.

What circumstances have changed since your wedding day? Children? Careers? Stress? Illness? It could be as simple as being busier now. It could be as complex as significant unresolved marital conflicts. Commit to each other to work through any obstacles as a team. And commit to shaking things up a bit. (In a good way.)

Passion Power-Up:

Have you talked to your spouse about how you feel? Are you creating the time and space to maintain your marriage so there’s room for romance? This probably doesn’t sound romantic, but frequently the effort comes first. The feelings often follow. You might be surprised by the romance conjured by a planned night out, the habit of taking a walk together after dinner or even scheduled sex. Do something different. Don’t let your relationship get in a rut.

• Try to do What Happy Couples Try To Do Each and Every Morning.

• Or, 11 Interesting Things Happy Couples Always Do When They Get Home From Work.

• Try some of these 100 Cute Date Ideas So You Never Get Bored Again.

• Talk through The 50 Best Marriage Tips Of All Time From 50 Relationship Experts. What do you already have down? What do you want to start working on?

• Move beyond clichéd convos. Pick a question or two a day from these 200 Questions for couples.

• Let the big brains at Harvard give you some spicy Tips To Improve Your Sex Life, or Keep The Spark Alive In Your Marriage with advice from these other big brains.
• Change up your bedtime routine with these 10 Things Happy Couples Do Before They Go to Sleep.

3. DANGER ZONE.

Gut-check time. Have you entertained romantic feelings for someone other than your spouse? It’s difficult to have romantic feelings for two different people simultaneously. It can be subtle at the start. A friend or co-worker seems fun and interesting. Maybe you see some qualities in them you feel your spouse is lacking. That romantic feeling for your spouse starts to wane. This is the Danger Zone.

Passion Power-Up:

If this is the case, you need a reality check. You know your spouse, warts and all. It’s unfair and unrealistic to compare your spouse to someone you know comparatively on a superficial level. The grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence. The grass is greener where you water it. 

See those “feelings” for what they really are and refocus on your spouse. Nourish your relationship with your spouse and see what happens to your romantic feelings.

4. Start with you. 

Maybe this isn’t about your spouse at all. You might be experiencing some changes in how you look at yourself and your life. Several things could cause this. You might not be experiencing success in your career like you’d hoped. Maybe you’re feeling the burden of financial stress. You could be dealing with physical or mental health issues. This could be a season of life thing. You could simply be aging and not handling it in a healthy way. 

Passion Power-Up:

Do a personal inventory. You might need to take a good, honest look deep inside yourself. Many things may have changed or shifted inside of you, affecting how you feel about your spouse. You might not have noticed slow, silent repositioning in your perspective or personality. It might be helpful to enlist a trusted friend in answering these questions. See your primary care physician if you haven’t had a check-up in a long time. Our physical health and our feelings are bound up together. Don’t be afraid to seek out a counselor or therapist if you feel like you can’t quite understand what you’re feeling. Your spouse will thank you.

You’ve lost romantic feelings for your spouse. How you respond is critical. 

Some people want a romance-based relationship. Ask yourself if that’s a reality-based relationship. You might not always feel that heady, passionate love. But as you experience that heavy compassionate love, the romantic feelings that follow might surprise you.

Don’t be afraid to take a hard look at yourself. Ask yourself the tough questions. Respond in a way that’s healthy for yourself and your marriage. Seek out help where needed. Lost romantic feelings may be complex, but they may also be very simple. Taking these steps is a great sign, and there is hope!

Other Blogs:

Keep Romance Strong in Marriage

What is Romance in Marriage?

Sources:

Love and the Brain | Harvard Medical School

Brain Study Reveals Secrets of Staying Madly in Love | Psychology Today

The Dark Side of Believing in True Love – BBC Future

15 Things About Being in Love vs. Loving Someone

The Psychology Behind Love and Romance

Thinking About Romantic/Erotic Love

Navigating the 4 Stages of a Relationship

8 Warning Signs of a Troubled Marriage

Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Divorce

Getting It Right the First Time: Creating a Healthy Marriage