When it comes to intimacy in your relationship, it does not occur on its own. Intimacy is something that must be nurtured over time. In many relationships, one or both partners get wrapped up in everyday life and forget to work on strengthening and maintaining intimacy in their relationship. Intimacy is not just the physical aspect of a relationship and is actually a bunch of other little things that each need worked on.
When it comes to the different types of intimacy, each is very important. There Is emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and physical intimacy. Take intimacy seriously in your relationship and be willing to nurture it consistently. Identify what works best for you and your partner. Find new ways to nurture your intimacy over time. Not everyone’s relationship is the same, so your relationship needs will look different than others.
Types of intimacy:
- Physical intimacy
This is what our relationships need. Physical intimacy is not just about sex but is also about the little things such as kissing, holding hands, or hugging. Physical intimacy helps us feel loved by our partner, it can also help us feel more secure.
- Intellectual intimacy
Having good intellectual intimacy means that you can share things openly and feel safe to share your opinions. Good communication is necessary to grow a relationship and helps us feel safe within our relationships.
- Emotional intimacy
This type of intimacy helps to greatly strengthen our relationships. Emotional intimacy means that we can let our guard down and share our feelings and emotions to become closer to our partner. This is one of the hardest things in a relationship because it requires us to be vulnerable.
- Spiritual intimacy
Often forgotten about or not understood is spiritual intimacy. This consists of your connection with your partner spiritually through beliefs and energies that you share.
Nurturing intimacy in your relationship can:
- Help us feel happier and more fulfilled
- Help reduce stress and anxiety
- Help us feel more relaxed & comfortable
- Help us have more purpose for the future
Ways to start nurturing your relationship:
Make time for each other and give each other your full attention during this time.
- Help them with their to-do’s
Life can get very overwhelming, a relationship is not one sided, clean the house for your partner or help cook a meal.
- Use active listening skills
In order to build on communication, you must actively listen and engage in conversations together.
- Recognize the little things
Notice when they do small things to help and let them know that you appreciate them.
- Provide each other emotional support
Showing each other that you care helps with vulnerability and trust within your relationship.
- Set goals together
This helps each of you to strive for something together and shows that you are serious about your future as a couple.
Sometimes, based on previous relationships and experiences, intimacy can be a difficult thing. Work on how you can slowly introduce more intimacy into your relationship. Know that intimacy does not just come naturally and that it should be nurtured throughout your relationship on a consistent basis. Work towards building intimacy in each area such as physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual.
Nurturing your relationship can create a long and happy relationship as well as nurtures your own health and well-being. If you or your partner struggle with intimacy, start slowly learning to work on it more and more together. Be open and honest with each other about how you feel about intimacy and what your intimacy needs are. If you are struggling and need help, a trained couples therapist can greatly help you through these emotions and experiences as a couple.
