intimacy in the relationship
You want to get closer to each other, closer than anyone else you’ve ever been. You want to be touched and hugged when you feel happy or sad. You want to share your most secret secrets, and know each other’s strange habits. Such feelings are unique and you may feel this way only with one person. Intimacy is essential in a relationship and marriage. But this is something other than the body. Doesn’t that mean you can feel intimate with each other even outside of the bedroom? In this post, you will learn more about intimacy in a relationship and different ways to be intimate with your spouse.
What is intimacy in a relationship?
Intimacy is an intense emotion, a sense of belonging that you experience when you are with another person. You can be close to many people, but only get close to the few who love you and accept them for who you are.
Contrary to popular belief, intimacy in a relationship is not just about sex. It’s about your truest feeling for each other and loving unconditionally. Physical intimacy is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of intimacy in a relationship, but there are other lesser-known ways to be intimate in long-term relationships.
Types of intimacy
Intimacy, which is necessary for a successful relationship, has different types that you will get to know below.
- Emotional intimacy
This form of intimacy makes everything better. Achieving intimate feelings in a relationship is to know, accept and love each other’s true self. When you know that your partner really loves you, then you will feel safe and comfortable. And when you openly share your feelings, dreams, and desires, you get to know each other better, and that’s the beginning of a beautiful, long-lasting relationship.
How can you develop it?
Of course, it takes time to develop an emotional connection with a life partner, but it is very easy and enjoyable. The first step to emotionally connect with your partner is to spend time with him and talk about each other’s interests and desires. also Couples therapy or marriage counseling could be great for you
Couples should be emotionally intimate. When they are emotionally connected, they will respect, trust and stand up for each other, which in turn will have a positive effect on their sex life.
- Physical intimacy
This form of intimacy is powerful. It is perhaps the most intimate way to express your love to your partner. Physical intimacy is not just about sex. It could also be hugging, kissing, or just touching your partner’s face in a moment of emotional intimacy. Touch plays an important role in reducing cortisol and increasing oxytocin levels in stressful situations.
How can you develop it?
A great sex life is just as important in long-term relationships. Emotional and physical intimacy are interdependent. Also, both of these work differently in men and women and may be different in people.
Some need physical intimacy before they can trust and open up, while others need to connect emotionally before they can get physically close. Therefore, to establish balance, a couple must first understand each other’s love language. Gestures like holding hands, kissing, or simply caressing can help create fantastic chemistry between partners.
- Intellectual intimacy
What does intelligence have to do with intimacy? This is important if a couple is looking for a serious relationship. Intellectual intimacy allows you and your partner to be aligned when it comes to major life decisions and raising children with the right values.
Intellectual intimacy also helps you connect beyond the physical and emotional level, exchange knowledge and gain some good qualities from each other. This intimacy not only makes the relationship stronger but also helps the couple become better people.
How can you develop it?
In order to develop intellectual intimacy, husband and wife must connect intellectually by discussing topics that interest them both. Accepting your partner’s opinions and ideas can be a great way to build intellectual intimacy. Any meaningful conversation between the couple can help develop intellectual intimacy that may contribute to mutual respect for each other. Marriage counseling
4- Entertainment intimacy
This level of intimacy is created by doing the things you love together. It could be going to an exotic location, playing a sport you like, exploring new places or just walking on the beach. Fun camaraderie teaches you to do things together as a team. You will realize that whenever a problem arises, you are both facing the problem together and not against each other.
How can you develop it?
To create recreational intimacy, you can choose activities such as sports, hobbies or vacations. Such activities will strengthen your physical and mental health, which is essential for strengthening your relationships. You can also adopt a fitness regimen and motivate each other to stick to it. As long as you are together, it doesn’t matter what you do.
Many people do not pay attention to this type of intimacy or do not know how to communicate with it. However, in a long-term relationship, financial intimacy is important because money is needed to achieve some materialistic goals. Financial intimacy means that you and your partner are committed to something and want to work for it.
How can you develop it?
The first step to financial intimacy is to clarify the financial resources of both people. If both partners are willing to share their capital and savings, it means you have nothing to hide. Once this intimacy is established, husband and wife can discuss long-term goals such as buying a house or providing for the children’s future.
By committing to the same financial goals, you can both grow closer to each other. Another way to build financial intimacy is to spend on the things you both value the most.
- Unconditional intimacy
This is the most difficult form of intimacy and requires a lot of patience and effort to achieve it. But after achieving this goal, your relationship can stand the test of time. Unconditional intimacy allows you to accept each other as you are, and to forgive and forget the other person’s mistakes (only when the other person realizes their mistake and is truly sorry for it).
How can you develop it?
Creating unconditional intimacy is not easy because it requires you to fully accept each other. This type of intimacy; It comes from unconditional love, which makes you willing to move mountains for your partner and expect nothing in return.
Try to start small. For example, if your partner makes a mess, try cleaning up yourself, but let him know you appreciate him when he’s tidy. The results may not be immediate, but after some time, your partner will be able to reciprocate the same unconditional love. But be careful what you give because there is a risk of falling into unconditional love.
Intimacy of any kind has only one purpose, that is to bring the couple closer to each other. But, can’t a couple be intimate and still be in a relationship? Read to find out.