At the end of a long day, we tend to mentally check out of our lives and, consequently, our relationship. We rely on the standard question, "How was your day?" But because we hear that question so often, many of us will reflexively just respond with the bare minimum: "Fine. How was yours?" This does nothing to improve your connection and can actually damage it because you're losing the opportunity to regularly connect in a small way.

If your initial "How was your day?" doesn't spark much conversation, try asking more creative follow-up questions: "What made you smile today?" or "What was the most challenging part of your day?" You'll be amazed at the answers you'll get, with the added benefit of gaining greater insight into your significant other.