My (36M) girlfriend (33F) are taking a break and want to make the most of it... How?

My (36M) girlfriend (33F) and I have been going through a rough patch the last 2 years of our 8 year relationship. We’re both committed to trying to trying to reconnect and move forward with our relationship. She came up with the idea that we take a break while she takes a trip home to visit her mom and sister for a week. Not a break from the relationship, but a break from each other. A week doesn’t sound like much but it’s all she could take off work and my girlfriend and I haven’t spent a night apart in YEARS. Plus 90% of our time outside of work is spent with each other and our time together is usually spent fighting, bickering has turned into toxic blow-ups where we’re yelling and true resolution is rare. Intimacy is lacking from both sides, there’s love but no romance, feels like we need a reset.

We agreed that our time apart would be spent focusing on ourselves (within reason, she’ll be with her family, who is unaware of the circumstances of this trip). I told her to go do some self-care activities with her mom and sister and I’m going to get myself into the gym. We want to spend our time disconnected from the internet/world and just grounding ourselves because we’re both individually contributing to our issues.

So my question is, how do we optimize this week break? Should we go absolutely no contact to really create some space to miss each other? Nightly phone calls? She suggested us writing letters or journaling each night. I thought about surprising her and asking her to a nice date the night we reunite.

I love this woman more than anything and I believe she feels the same. She’s who I want to marry and mother our children. We’ve just lost our footing and I want to reintroduce her to a more pleasant, thoughtful man and for me to meet a more patient, pleasant woman.

If you’ve taken space from your significant other and it was beneficial to you guys, please share any ideas!