Importance of Developing Emotional Intimacy in Relationships

Developing intimacy in relationships doesn’t happen overnight. It requires your time, patience and participation.

When talking about “intimacy,” many couples instantly think of the sexual side of their relationship.

However, the truth is emotional intimacy plays just as important of a role in a happy marriage – if not more important than a physical connection.

In a marriage, emotional intimacy happens when both partners trust and love one another enough to feel comfortable enough to talk about any topic under the sun. This requires deep respect, admiration and acceptance on behalf of each spouse.

From reducing divorce to creating fireworks in the bedroom, buildingemotional intimacy in marriage can help improve your relationship in many different ways.

Here are eight ways of connecting with your spouse can strengthen your marriage.

The High Value Of Emotional Intimacy In Marriage

It Promotes Respect and Happiness

Emotional intimacy encourages respect between partners. Respect is what makes you partners instead of merely just lovers. You can promote intimacy in marriage by:

• Spending more time together
• Giving each other your full attention
• Practicing honest communication
• Having a weekly date night
• Spending more time together in the bedroom
• Taking at least 30-minutes with each other without using electronics

A partnership is two people taking life on together. It’s about two people sharing responsibilities, being faithful, showing honor and love to one another. Also, never talking badly about their spouse to a friend or family member.

Improves Physical Intimacy in a Relationship

In marriage, when you and your spouse share emotional intimacy you feel closer and more comfortable with one another. The closer you feel to each another, the more likely you’re to be physically intimate together.

A 2013 research article published by the Journal of Sexual Medicine found the best predictor of sexual satisfaction for both men and women was a profound form of emotional intimacy in a relationship.

Having an intimate relationship makes you more comfortable in talking to your partner about your wants and needs in the bedroom. Additionally, it may make your sex life more physically enjoyable.

Also, sex promotes the release of the bonding hormone Oxytocin. Oxytocin is responsible for that “puppy love” feeling you get at the beginning of relationships. It also contributes to higher levels of trust between romantic partners.

Emotional Intimacy Improves Communication

Sharing an emotional connection with your spouse can improve your communication skills with one another. Primarily, because you’re more comfortable sharing deep thoughts or problems.

You’re also more in-tune with each other’s emotions and thought-processes.

• Communicating effectively involves
• Talking with your spouse in person about the subject at hand,
• Respectfully listening to one another,
• Sharing thoughts and opinions, and
• Feeling free to talk about any subject honestly, even if it’s awkward or uncomfortable.

Reduces Arguments

Dealing with challenging situations is all part of being in a relationship. It’s bound to happen at one point or another, no matter how close you and your spouse are.

By taking the time to develop a close friendship and deep intimate bond with your spouse, you learn how to tolerate and handle challenges more efficiently.

It also helps you to understand each other better and to empathize with the other’s point of view during disagreements. You patiently hear each other out, listen respectfully and focus on resolving your issues instead of using an argument as a reason to attack one another personally.

Frequent, free communication that comes from emotional intimacy also gives you the opportunity to work out any issues you have before they fester into resentment.

It Promotes Mutual Growth

By being emotionally connected to one another you and your spouse will naturally spend more time together than apart. This means you will likely take up hobbies and other social activities together.

Spending your time reading, exploring, cooking or learning something new together is a wonderful bonding experience that can be highly beneficial for long-term relationships. By sharing some of the same hobbies and experiencing the journey of life together, you give yourself an opportunity to grow together instead of apart.

Love Reduces Stress

By sharing a close and intimate relationship with your spouse, you can reduce stress. When in love and deeply connected to a partner, the brain releases the feel-good hormone dopamine which stimulates the reward center of the brain.

This hormone can improve stress and anxiety levels. There’s another way in which an emotional connection can improve your stresses.

One study by the University of Pittsburgh suggests sleeping next to a partner can reduce stress and improve sleep by promoting a feeling of security and safety through the release of oxytocin.

Building Realistic Expectations

Knowing you have someone who will always be there to love and support you is a real blessing. Many couples have unrealistic expectations of one another in marriage.

By keeping an open line of communication and establishing a bond of emotional intimacy, will help you keep a balanced view of married life. You’re able to accept one another’s limitations, forgive your shortcomings, and support each other through thick and thin.

Reduces Potential for Divorce

Regularly spending time together is one way in which couples develop a deep, emotional connection with one another. One way they do this is by having a weekly date night.

One study found having a regular date night each week, in which couples are encouraged to spending quality time together without distractions, may actually reduce their risk of divorce.

A regular date night may also increase communication, bonding and relationship satisfaction in marriage.

Emotional intimacy is the ultimate love connection. Intimacy in a relationship promotes

• Mutual growth,
• Reduces stress and arguments,
• Increases self-esteem and
• Boosts marriage satisfaction.

When you commit to building emotional intimacy in marriage you’re telling your partner you want a happy, healthy relationship for years to come.