The air is warm and smells of spring. Plants are flowering again, bees pollinating, birds breeding, and you - well, you're feeling a little frisky. It's natural.
"Our senses have been sharpened by the deprivations of winter. We take notice of the longer daylight hours, the flowers, birds, sun - we're glad the lovely season has begun," says Dr Heike Melzer, a Munich-based couples and sex therapist.
This seasonal transition stimulates our bodies into releasing the "happy hormones" dopamine and serotonin, boosting libido, she says. Which doesn't necessarily bump up the ol' rumpy-pumpy though, particularly for couples whose sex life has settled into a routine.
For them, Melzer has five tips to turn fizzle into sizzle:
1. Break habits
During the cold and gloomy days of winter, many couples take to the living room sofa, where they might watch something on Netflix and nosh on fast food.
"We're sated," says Melzer, who writes about this in a new book whose title translates as "Hidden Lures: The Power of Reward Stimuli and How to Get Free of Them."
"It helps to use the impetus of spring to shed old habits," she says, and recommends, for example, changing your diets, cooking together, or trying out a new hobby such as going dancing together. Changes like these can let couples see each other with new eyes, she says.
2. Surprise!
A bouquet of flowers on your anniversary, a date night at your favourite restaurant - sure, they're nice, but nothing really special.
"What's truly memorable are genuine surprises - wholly unexpected ones," Melzer says. "Book a hotel room for a night and bring massage oil with you," she suggests. Or how about wearing sexy underwear under your clothes in an everyday situation?
Or "pack a picnic basket and take a trip out into the countryside. There are thermal baths where you can rent a private room too." It's not a matter of spending s lot of money, Melzer says, but of being creative and going out of your way.
3. Maybe you're the problem
Is your relationship in hibernation? Take a tip from singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" lyrics, advises Melzer: "It's me. Hi. I'm the problem. It's me." In other words, the partners should first ask themselves what they can do individually before looking for fault in the other person.
"It's about combating your own bad habits," she says. "Ask proactively, talk about solutions instead of getting bogged down in problems. And above all, give each other your undivided attention and quality time."
4. Erotic films, sex games
When's the last time you and your partner did something together for the first time? Applying this question to sex, particularly couples in a long-term relationship would do well to look in the mirror.
"It often takes courage to try out something new, but growth, as is known, begins outside your comfort zone," says Melzer. "Some couples get ideas at erotic and fetish fairs or during risque nights out."
Inspiration can also be found on the internet. "You can watch porn videos, of course, but I'd advise against mainstream pornos," Melzer says. She recommends films such as the 1999 erotic thriller "Eyes Wide Shut," which she says can stimulate your imagination without being explicit.
Sex game calendars or challenges can widen your sexual horizon too. "You can do the 30-day sex challenge, for instance, in which you roll dice to decide that day's sex position," Melzer says. She cautions, however, that practices like this could put undue pressure on the partners.
5. Let's talk about sex, baby!
Are you frustrated because spring has sprung but your sex life is dormant? Then "you should talk about it," says Melzer. "But it's never good to begin by saying, 'Have you also noticed we haven't had sex in a long time?'"
It's easy to complain, but not always helpful, she says. "Instead, it's better to express three specific wishes you have for your relationship. One could be that you and your partner will be talking more openly about sex before New Year's Eve."
Having clear goals, Melzer says, makes it easier to have more pleasure together.
