5 Tips - How To Emotionally Connect With Your Partner

1. Practice Empathy

Listen and be present. Validate what your partner is saying. Put yourself in their shoes. Paul tells his clients often to validate, acknowledge and empathize as the basics of effective communication.

2. Communicate Without Attacking

Using “I” statements, such as “I am feeling…” or “I need…” is a simple and highly effective way to express your feelings without criticizing.

3. Quality Time

Unplug! Put that phone away! Get into better habits, create boundaries around your cell phone use and social media. Put the phone away while at the table, and don’t go on it while in bed. This one change may have a drastic impact on your ability to connect emotionally with your partner.

Also, plan weekly dates with your partner. Something that you don’t normally do.

4. Physical Touch

Do you guys still hold hands? Are your kisses limited to the forehead and cheek? Get out there, pretend you are still dating. Hold hands, grab each other by the waist. Practice the 5 second kiss! Physical touch does not have to lead to sex. Intimacy starts with the small stuff, the holding hands, kissing, winking and smiling. When was the last time you flirted with your partner?

5. Create Rituals

Rituals and routines on emotionally connecting is vital to creating and maintaining a healthy relationship. Start creating rituals for the mornings, afternoons, after work and bedtime. Connect emotionally with each other several times a day. Freely give kisses and hugs.

Paul Lucas has been a marriage, couples and relationship therapist for the past several years. He has helped hundreds, even thousands of couples find ways to emotionally connect with each other. If you are finding yourself wanting a stronger, deeper connection with your partner, reach out to Paul. Using Relational Life Therapy, he helps couples make drastic changes quickly, moving them from disharmony to harmony, from disconnection to connection.