Developing shared interests doesn’t have to be hard. Whilst you may have a few things in common already – probably why you’re considering a relationship in the first place – you may still find that you don’t have many shared interests. They may have been raised in a different way to you and are likely to see things from a different point of view, but there are some simple things you can do.

Be open-minded

Let’s face it; you have to be open-minded to date in the first place, but when you meet someone you like who happens to like things you’re not into, it can be tempting to just run the other way! But don’t! Give them a chance and show some interest in what they like.

I have shared before about how my husband loved the outdoors and I am very much a homebody. But I was willing to go on one or two walks with him and now, that’s part of our everyday lives – I’ve grown to love it myself!

Whether it’s certain kinds of movies (no scary movies for me though, thanks), or visiting art galleries, hiking, or watching sports, you’ll be surprised that when you allow yourself to be open-minded, these things may not be as bad as you once thought! In fact, you may grow to love them as well!

See it as an opportunity to learn from each other

When you show interest in what someone else likes or is into, you show that you value them as a person. If it is something that you know little about, this could be an opportunity to learn from them – so you can also get involved in said activity, or even just so you can have something to talk about when you meet up.

If it is something they are passionate about, you can get them to teach you or show you how you can also get involved. If your partner is passionate about baking for example, you could ask them to show you how they make some simple bakes, and you can even include baking as part of your date activities.

Likewise, you can also introduce them to something you’re passionate about and give them opportunities to get involved in your world.

Look for opportunities to create or achieve something together

One great way of developing shared interests is to look for opportunities to create or achieve something together. Doing things together is a perfect way to have quality time with each other. As well as being open minded and learning from each other, you can both decide to find a shared interest that is new to both of you that you can enjoy together.

This shared interest can provide an opportunity to not only do things together, but also create or achieve something together. If you both find that you enjoy walking or hiking for example, you could plan and complete a sponsored trek together.

The process of planning and working together allows you to spend time together and get to know each other better. You can learn a lot about each other by observing the way you do things. There is also a satisfaction that comes from achieving something together; it could be as small as using a newly found recipe to bake a delicious cake together, or as big as completing a sponsored trek for charity.

Developing shared interests is crucial for any relationship; it helps to strengthen the relationship because you have something in common. Doing things together allows you to bond, learn from and about each other, and grow together as a couple, and bless each other through it.

What are your favourite ways of developing shared interests? What interests would you like to share in a relationship?