Creating and maintaining the connection in a relationship involves a conscious decision to make the relationship a priority and find a way to make the connection.
Here are practical ways you can improve the connection you have with your partner.
Show genuine interest in your partner.
When you show a genuine interest in your partner, you are essentially telling them that they are valued, loved, and important to you.
Spend time connecting in meaningful ways as a couple.
Creating a ritual of spending time together to connect as a couple is often overlooked as unnecessary. Prioritizing your relationship with your partner will nourish your relationship and help to create a deeper bond.
Listen to how your partner feels
Listening shows your partner that you genuinely care about them. Listening to their struggles or concerns does not necessarily require you to provide solutions, so don’t always be tempted to jump to the rescue. Having someone you trust to share burdens with, aids in bonding and vulnerability.
Be a source of emotional support
Giving and receiving emotional support brings you and your partner closer, thereby helping you establish a deeper level of intimacy and trust.
Share common interests and activities together.
Create a list of activities and interests you have in common and commit to doing these things together. Shared interests create avenues for fun together.
Engaging in shared activities is also a way to build experiences and memories that can drastically strengthen emotional intimacy.
Anchor your emotions through physical touch.
Physical touch is a powerful connector between human beings. This doesn’t have to be about having sex, either. Holding hands, hugging each other, and giving each other shoulder rubs all constitute a physical touch. Each one of these simple physical gestures can further cement your feelings for each other.
Cultivate friendship as a couple
Nurturing your friendship, being vulnerable with each other, and genuinely enjoying each other’s company can foster openness, likeability, and communication, thereby strengthening your marital relationship.
Practice forgiveness
Holding grudges makes it difficult for two people to come together on an emotional level. It puts up walls that are harder to knock down the longer they stay up.
One way to demolish these walls built by resentment is to authentically practice forgiveness in your marriage. This will allow for emotional closeness.
In addition to the tips above, ask your partner how they would like to improve your emotional and relational connection.