How to maintain a healthy Intimate Relationship

Guest blog post by Luke Douglas from ripped.me

Intimacy is a crucial component of any healthy relationship. Being able to show affection and share intimate moments with your significant other are signs that you and your partner are content with the way things are going and that you’re in a happy relationship. However, come stress, children, and pressures of daily life and many couples find themselves in unhappy relationships and marriages, and that’s when intimacy, as well as the relationship, are put on a back burner. 

When going through a rough patch, it’s important to work on your intimate relationship with your partner. It may seem difficult at first, but even the littlest of things and actions add up, leading to stability in a relationship. Below, a couple of tips that can help you maintain a healthy intimate relationship and emotional life. 

Communicate honestly and openly

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but lack of communication is often what causes couples to seek therapy. When partners don’t feel comfortable sharing things with their partner and talking about their feelings freely, it causes them to distance themselves from their significant other. Moreover, couples who aren’t able to communicate honestly and openly about their problems and everyday issues they encounter certainly won’t feel like talking about their intimate needs. 

Since lack of communication doesn’t only affect their emotional but also their intimate lives, it’s important that partners address this issue and start sharing their thoughts and needs. Talking openly to our partner instead of expecting them to read our minds will help improve different areas of our relationship, opening doors for intimacy to be expressed. 

Do your best to maintain trust

Being intimate with your partner means exposing yourself to them and showing your vulnerability, and part of being in a healthy intimate relationship is being able to open up yourself to that other person. When you don’t feel like you can trust your partner, it can put a strain on your relationship as well as your intimacy, causing you to distance yourself from them and even start questioning the stability of your relationship. Then, instead of honesty and closeness, you might begin to feel resentment towards them, which can even lead to a stop to intimacy altogether. 

Therefore, do your best to maintain trust. Talk to your partner, express your concerns, and work on those issues because that’s the only way to feel comfortable with your significant other. 

Understand the importance of physical connection

Intimate relationships possess both emotional and physical aspects. Physical intimacy plays an important role in romantic relationships, and connecting to your partner through physical touch is a subtle, quiet way of telling them that you love them and that they matter to you. Healthy sex life is a good indicator that both partners are content with the relationship, but the key is to be creative and introduce innovations from time to time. 

Whether it means dressing up in costumes, role-playing, or using some interesting adult toys to spice things up in the bedroom will depend on the couple. It can also mean sharing fantasies with your partner or trying something out of the ordinary. Whatever it may be, finding new ways to connect physically is sure to enhance sexual pleasure, boost intimacy, and keep things fun between the sheets. 

Appreciate your partner constantly

When we enter a relationship, we may feel the need to verbalize all those feelings we have towards the other person. However, after a while, couples don’t put their feelings into words as often. That doesn’t mean that they don’t appreciate the small things about their partners, but that they simply stopped stating them. 

To make your relationship more harmonious and connect with your partner, be sure to show them constant appreciation. Even the littlest compliments can make their day, and they go a long way in helping you maintain an intimate relationship. 

Show respect and support 

Mutual love and respect are crucial for maintaining intimacy and affection in a relationship. Lack of respect and support can be detrimental to relationships, resulting in feelings of resentfulness and causing distance between partners. 

On the other hand, when we feel appreciated, respected, and loved, we automatically want to be closer to that person. Remember, relationships should be reciprocal, and as long as you’re valuing your partner’s opinions and respecting their boundaries, you can expect the same from them. 

Conclusion

Although they take work, healthy intimate relationships are important for a healthy life. Such relationships can be great sources of joy, happiness, and fulfillment in our lives, so they must not be neglected and moved down the priority list. 

Work on your relationships and invest in them. Celebrate them and help them flourish because only then can you enjoy all the fruits they have to offer.