Polly Hudson, a London resident, experienced a moment of clarity on a saturday evening while on her way to a friend's birthday party. She noticed her husband, Nick, wearing a thick, 1970s-style sweater, a stark contrast to the effort she put into her own attire. This observation sparked a deeper realization: it had been a long time since she had truly seen him.

According to marriage therapist Sarah Louise Ryan, the situation Polly and Nick faced is a common example of "quiet divorce," a growing trend among Generation X (born 1965-1980). This concept is similar to "quiet quitting," where couples maintain only the most basic family responsibilities, neglecting to nurture their emotional connection. Data from Counselling Directory, a platform connecting users with UK mental health professionals, reveals a 544% increase in searches for "quiet divorce" over the past year.

Sarah explains that this phenomenon is a gradual erosion of affection. Couples do not typically separate due to major incidents, but rather because their connection fades under the weight of financial and work pressures. "The danger lies in the comfort of silence. When there is no crisis, people often lack the motivation to change. That is how affection gradually disappears," Sarah said.

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Polly and Nick, who married in 2010 after three years of dating, once enjoyed extensive conversations. However, after nearly two decades together, their interactions had dwindled to merely exchanging basic information. They skipped greeting kisses, reduced date nights to save on childcare costs, and became engrossed in their phones, sitting silently in front of the TV each evening instead of sharing daily events.

Recognizing the risk of their relationship failing, Polly decided to turn off the TV and talk to Nick. Nick agreed that they both needed to act to change their trajectory.

Their initial efforts to reconcile felt awkward. Polly tried greeting her husband at the door when he returned from work, reminiscent of a 1950s housewife. After a few attempts, the awkwardness dissolved, replaced by a sense of anticipation.

They re-established small but significant rules: always kissing goodbye and hello; taking time to share daily trivialities; holding hands; and actively listening to each other, rather than treating the other's words as background noise. Polly noted that abandoning phone habits to focus on conversation was sometimes exhausting, but yielded worthwhile results. "We didn't rediscover the fiery passion of young love, but a mature affection shared by two like-minded individuals," she recounted.

Drawing from their story, expert Sarah Louise Ryan suggests five ways for couples to rekindle affection:

• Utilize four transition moments: dedicate 5 undistracted minutes at these times: upon waking, before work, after work, and before bed.
• Speak up before getting angry: do not let resentment accumulate. Repairing a small crack is always easier than rebuilding a collapsed wall.
• Maintain curiosity: ask about your partner's current dreams and worries instead of criticizing.
• Restore physical touch: a hand touch or a shared joke has strong bonding power.
• Stop acting: be honest about your own weaknesses. Estrangement begins when people stop showing their true selves.

Nhat Minh (According to Goodhousekeeping)