Emotional Intimacy

I wanted to try something new and see what others thought about emotional intimacy and how they think they increase it in their own marriages. I started interviewing each one of my siblings, their spouses, and my parents on how they increase intimacy in marriage. Each one of them came up with some awesome ideas. It is amazing how over time and through experience you get to know your spouse better and you learn how to grow closer to them. I was grateful the thoughts and feelings they shared with me.

Some of their ideas are as follows:

 Go on walks together 

 Hold hands when in public and private 

Read a book together that you both enjoy 

Give each other massages

Open the door for one another 

Go on weekly dates with each other 

Watch a movie and cuddle with one another 

Talk and listen 

Play a board game together 

Laugh together, cry together 

There are so many different ideas that you could come up with besides what was listed above.

Activity #1

1. Sit down with your spouse and discuss ideas that you two would enjoy that would bring you closer together emotionally. You can use some of what is listed above or come up with your own that are unique to your relationship.

 2. Once you have a list of at least ten different ideas, practice.

3. Take at least 20 minutes each night to practice and grow closer together emotionally.

In Psychology Today there was and article written by Linda and Charlie Bloom and I love what they say about emotional intimacy, “Deep intimacy requires a high level of transparency and openness. This involves a degree of vulnerability that can feel uncomfortable or anxiety producing to many of us. These feelings do, however, tend to diminish and even dissolve over time and with practice”. Developing emotional intimacy is not always an easy process to complete within each marital relationship. But like the Bloom’s said the feelings that may come go away over time and with practice, so we need to practice.

Reference:
Bloom, L. Bloom, C. (2013). Stronger at the broken places. Retrieved from: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/stronger-the-broken-places/201303/emotional-intimacy