A crucial element in a great sexual connection is emotional intimacy, which can be challenging no matter what stage of the relationship you're in. But while physical intimacy is a major part of a relationship for some, emotional intimacy can be just as important, if not more. Building emotional intimacy and fostering it is key to your overall wellbeing and the health of your long-term relationship. Whether you're in a new relationship that could use a little nudge toward building intimacy or you and your long-term partner need to strengthen your connection and engage in some sensual love, there are a few simple ways to achieve the closeness you both crave. This article will explore how you and your partner can get closer and love sweeter for a deeper emotional and sexual connection.
What is Emotional Intimacy?
Emotional intimacy involves connecting with your partner on a deeper level through actions that express and support feelings, trust and vulnerabilities. It's crucial for any long-term relationship and fosters love, safety and support. Building emotional intimacy creates a sense of security within your relationship, allowing you to be completely yourself without feeling as if your relationship is at risk.
Without emotional intimacy, those in a relationship can start to feel bitter, resentful, fearful and even isolated or lonely. And this can have a huge impact on your overall connection. Emotional intimacy should be considered the foundation of any good relationship. As such, it's important to invest time, money and energy into nurturing it.
How to Build Emotional Intimacy
Building emotional intimacy should be considered an ongoing part of your relationship and something you work to strengthen each and every day. Creating that connection with your partner doesn't have to involve any big changes. The following are just a few simple ways you and your partner can improve your emotional connection starting today.
1. Listen — Without Judgement
This is a big one and has the potential to improve emotional intimacy after just a few short conversations. Make an effort to really listen to your partner without any preconceived judgments. We know, it can be difficult to have a conversation without asserting your own thoughts, opinions and assumptions. But when you are only thinking about what you're going to say next, you miss a lot of key information, leaving your partner to feel unheard. Try to actively listen instead. This allows you to focus on what your partner is saying and how they're saying it.
Non-judgmental listening isn't something that will come naturally overnight. You need to practice and be patient. Some things that can help guide the conversation include nodding, maintaining eye contact, resisting the urge to share your own experiences or turn the conversation on yourself, and leaving space in the conversation for silence to help your partner share more deeply. By slowing the conversation down and taking a less tense or defensive tone, you can help nurture intimacy and awareness. It's a surprisingly intimate act that can help not only your romantic relationship, but also your relationship with friends, family and colleagues.
2. Be Vulnerable
While you cannot force someone to be vulnerable, you can be vulnerable yourself. This helps to build and earn trust, making it easier for your partner to confide in you and break down those personal walls when they're ready. Being vulnerable does not have to mean revealing some deep dark secret; it can be as simple as sharing something embarrassing that happened at work. By opening up on a regular basis, you and your partner will start to feel more comfortable sharing and expressing what once seemed difficult to communicate.
3. Indulge In Your Partner's Passions
While having your own interests and hobbies is healthy, it's also important to show interest in the things your partner loves. From reading your beloved's favorite book to going on a hike together, partaking in a passion of your partner's shows you care about the things they like and are willing to take the time to experience them for yourself. It just may reveal a new side of your partner that you've never seen before, helping to build that emotional intimacy. Plus, you may discover a new activity that you both can enjoy together — it's a win-win!
4. Try Something New Together
Another way to foster emotional intimacy is by trying a new activity or partaking in a new experience together. It's been shown that trying new activities can rekindle that spark and closeness for long-term couples. Sign up for a cooking class, take a bike ride, go on a canoe excursion — anything that allows you to really focus on your relationship and on each other as individuals. Experiencing a new activity together can help you to better connect and create exciting shared memories for years to come.
5. Show Appreciation for the Little Things
It's easy to take the little things that your partner does for granted. But instead, show gratitude and appreciation. A simple "thank you" can be a small act of caring, but by actively acknowledging the things you typically take for granted, it'll remind you both how deep and strong your connection really is.
Another way you can show appreciation is to surprise your partner by taking care of a chore or errand you typically protest or avoid. You can also surprise them with something they care about, like watching their favorite movie or making their favorite meal. This can be a huge way to boost emotional intimacy.
6. Visit a New Place Together
Changing up your scenery can shake up your relationship and bring you both together in unexpected and exciting ways. Go on a vacation to a foreign country, take a day trip to an attraction you've never been to or hit up a local small town that you've never explored before. It's a fun way to refresh your relationship and make time for one another.
7. Express Daily Affirmations and Compliments
No matter how long you've been together, it can be easy to get complacent. Instead, make it a habit to compliment and cherish your partner on a daily basis. This helps them to know that you really see them and appreciate them for all that they are. From thanking them for taking the time to do the dishes to expressing how deeply you love them, daily affirmations are key to building intimacy in relationships.
8. Attend Therapy Together or Alone
If you're looking to be more physically and emotionally intimate with your partner, consider seeking out a therapist for couples counseling or individual therapy. Couples counseling can help with communication skills and peel back any underlying issues that may be getting in the way of emotional intimacy. Individual therapy can help you get to the root of why you may find emotional intimacy difficult or scary. It can also provide tailored strategies for connecting better with your partner and teach you how to create emotional intimacy.
9. Prioritize Sexual Satisfaction
While this may seem like a no-brainer, it's been found that couples have a greater emotional connection when they are sexually satisfied. It's only natural for the two to be linked. But it's important to note that sex itself is not a cure-all for building emotional intimacy. Take the time to learn, explore and fulfill your partner's desires (and let them do the same for you). Putting their sexual satisfaction above your own shows that you care about pleasing your partner and fulfilling their every sexual need. This can lead to a stronger emotional connection as well as a better physical connection.
Get Physically and Emotionally Intimate with the Help of PinkCherry
Building emotional intimacy requires time and effort on the part of both you and your partner. A long-term relationship is something you have to work at and nurture every day. But the benefits that come with it are irreplaceable, and the emotional intimacy you'll create will make your relationship better than ever. At PinkCherry, we have a selection of sensual love sex toys to help create intimacy and let you explore each other like never before. Shop for everything from bath bombs and massage oils to sex coupons and body paint. We guarantee you'll find something exciting you both can try together to improve that connection you covet!
