Sometimes in the course of our relationship, we can come to a little dip in the road –a low point where things just don’t feel as bright as they used to. Everyone experiences that stale part of their relationship, but not everyone knows how to remedy it so the relationship doesn’t’ dive downhill.
To help out, we’ve compiled a small list of 3 ways to reconnect with your partner, right now. These exercises will make both you and your partner feel loved, appreciated and desired, and will increase the connection you feel to one another.
Express the Depth Of Your Love
We’re sure you tell your girlfriend or boyfriend how lovely they are on a regular basis. We’re not questioning that. Of course you love, admire and adore them –why else would you be with them? But sometimes the compliments we give our partner can become commonplace, repeated & ordinary.
Want to give your relationship a little extra joy & make your partner blush a little more than usual? Try this exercise:
Take turns telling each other what you love about each other –try to each complement one another on 10 things. Think carefully about what you’ll say. Don’t focus on the features, traits & quirks that you usually complement each other on.
Maybe you’ve never complimented them on their eyes, or on the way they throw their head back when they laugh. Sometimes we quietly observe these things and love them, but never vocalize them. This is that time to vocalize those things.
“I love the way your hair falls over your shoulder when you laugh” or “I love the fact that you have such an adorable overbite.” We promise that by the end of this exercise, you’ll both feel so warm, fuzzy and adored by one another you won’t know what to do with yourselves.
Practice Active listening
How well do you listen to your partner? LDRs boast their awesome communication skills, but listening and communicating are two different things. To be an excellent communicator you must first be an active listener.
Want to give your communication skills a boost? Try this exercise:
Ask your partner to have a conversation –it can be about anything. After each statement your partner makes, repeat what you heard back to them. “I heard you say…”
Don’t repeat the words back exactly as your partner says them. Do repeat back an interpretation of what you think they said. If you misunderstand or misinterpret anything your partner said, they should correct you.
This exercise is a great way to strengthen listening and communicating skills. It works really well for arguments and important discussions since it trains you both the leave out any room for misunderstanding when communicating with each other.
Increase intimacy
True intimacy is gift we give only to those that we trust and love immensely. That having been said, it can be difficult for some people to even know how to begin to be emotionally and mentally intimate in a relationship. Being long distance, this is a big no-no for us, since being emotionally and mentally unavailable can lead to a relationship’s break down.
Here’s a quick exercise that can help you begin to explore a deeper level of intimacy with each other –an intimacy that doesn’t depend on physical touch.
What do you wonder about? What are your deepest hopes, fears and aspirations? Share them with your partner by playing the “I wonder” game. “I wonder if I’ll ever go to Disney world” or “I wonder if I’ll ever accomplish what I want out of life.” It can be anything!
Take turns and listen carefully without judging, commenting or over-analyzing their statements. You can gain a large amount of insight about one another just by practicing this exercise. After going back and forth for a while, you’ll feel a lot closer to one another for having shared those intimate wonderings.
Did these exercises help you? Tell us your experiences with them in the comments below.
