5 ways to reignite the passion in a tired relationship

• Passion sometimes fades as relationships progress — but it's possible to lure it back.
• Researchers and therapists have a bunch of simple strategies for reestablishing intimacy.
• Those strategies include trying something new and finding reasons to laugh together.

Passion comes and goes in every relationship. The key is not freaking out when you experience a dip — and knowing that you can reignite the proverbial spark that drew you to one another early on.

Read on for five simple strategies that can help you spice up a dull romance, backed by science and expert opinion.

SEE ALSO: 7 strategies that can help make your relationship happier in 10 minutes or less

Try something new together

An oft-cited study by psychologist Arthur Aron found that doing something new and exciting with your partner can lead to greater relationship satisfaction.

For the study, published 1993 in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, couples either spent time together doing novel activities, like dancing or hiking; spent time together doing pleasant but routine activities, like going to a movie; or didn't change anything about their daily lives.

After 10 weeks, the researchers reassessed the couples' relationship quality and found that those who had tried new and exciting things were the most satisfied.

Talk about what you need from the relationship — not what you don't need

Writing on the Gottman Institute's blog, Terry Gaspard says the first step to reestablishing sexual intimacy is fostering emotional intimacy.

Gaspard writes:

"Both partners need to talk about their feelings in terms of positive need, instead of what they do not need.

"According to [research psychologist and couples counselor] Dr. Gottman, expressing a positive need is a recipe for success for both the listener and the speaker because it conveys complaints and requests without criticism and blame.

"Dr. Gottman says, 'This requires a mental transformation from what is wrong with one's partner to what one’s partner can do that would work. The speaker is really saying, 'Here’s what I feel, and what I need from you.'"

Don't keep a relationship 'scoreboard'

A 2012 study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science illustrates the importance of being willing to give in a relationship.

Forty-four couples in long-term relationships participated in the three-week study, answering questions about their sexual activity and their feelings about it. Results showed that people who were more interested in meeting their partner's sexual needs also displayed greater sexual desire — and were more satisfied with the relationship overall.

In a review of the research on Psychology Today, psychologist Susan Krauss Whitbourne writes:

"You don’t have to be a complete pushover and never expect your partner to satisfy your needs to have a sexually intimate relationship that withstands the test of time. On the other hand, this study shows us that it's important not to keep a relationship scorecard, especially in the bedroom. Be willing to give more than you receive, and it’s possible that both of you will experience sexual happiness for many years to come."