There are few things in this world that are better than a great marriage or relationship. Antithetically, there are very few things worse than a lousy one! Statistics say half of all marriages end in divorce, and non-marriage relationships are even worse. Lets face it; great relationships take a lot of work! So how can we stack the deck in favor of an AWESOME relationship? Each article in this four part series lists 13 keys for improving relationship intimacy! 1. Exercise together. Lift weights, jog, ride bikes, or whatever. Exercise increases your metabolism, helping you keep that girlish figure or cute butt (3 or more 30 minute sessions a week). It also releases endorphins (the same ones released during sexual intimacy). A growing number of studies confirm a correlation between regular aerobic exercise and sexual desire and ability, and intimacy in a relationship. 2. Find ways to assure your spouse that you are thinking of them when you are apart. Call one another at work or text message one another during the day. Send her flowers while she is traveling. Write her letters on the hotel stationary. Call late at night to say I couldnt sleep without you by my side. Have the pizza boy bring a pizza with the message All she said was she was dreaming about you! That will give your intimacy a kick in the pants for sure! 3. Set up a Boys Night out for him. Would he enjoy an all night Bowl-a-Rama? How about cards till dawn? Or tickets to a tractor pull or a gun show? Use your imagination. He will surely show more intimacy as a result. 4. Plan a Girls Night Out for your wife and her best friends. Work with other husbands to plan a great evening where they can escape the routine. She will surely show more intimacy as a result. 5. Practice listening better and more often. Turn off the TV or radio and have a substantive discussion about the activities of the day, the needs of the children, or your plans and dreams for the future. Taking risks with one another is a relationship intimacy builder. 6. Catch your partner doing something that pleases you. Tell them why you are pleased, and how glad you are to have them in your life. Give them a big hug and kiss, and maybe a pat of encouragement. (Where you give the Pat is up to you, depending upon how intimate you feel!) 7. Buy your spouse a new watch. Have it inscribed with I always have time for you! Thoughtful gestures like that build relationship intimacy quickly. 8. Purchase an umbrella built for two then take a walk with it the next time it rains. Itll force you to walk closely together, and youll soon be laughing and enjoying the intimacy of closeness. 9. Call your spouses parents. Find out about their favorite things as a child. Prepare an evening of their favorite childhood food, dessert, story, song, movie, and so on. 10. Discuss your responses to the question what can I do to make our relationship and our intimacy more romantic and meaningful for you? And of course you will want to fulfill those wants, needs, and desires of your spouse at every opportunity. 11. Have a wedding cake made for your anniversary. Invite friends over for cake, punch and wedding pictures. Make sure the friends know just how special you think your spouse is. Who knows, someone elses relationship intimacy might get a boost as a result. 12. Always remember EVERY birthday, anniversary, holiday, and special occasion! You can lavish her with gifts 99 out of 100 times, and I guarantee you the only one she will remember is the one you forgot! If money is an issue, hand pick flowers, make a card, write a song or poem (it doesnt have to be good as long as its from your heart she will love it and adore you for writing it!), grill hot dogs, go on a picnic, or whatever. Relationship intimacy doesnt have to cost money! 13. Use all five of your senses to entertain and/or please your spouse. If youve forgotten, the five senses include seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. Since this is a G rated article, I wont get into any details. Lets suffice to say, Be creative and use your imagination! You wont believe how quickly relationship intimacy will climax. Here is a tool for using these ideas. Go through the entire list together and rate each of the ideas. Ladies, place your numbers on the left side of each item. Gentlemen, place your ratings on the right side of each idea. Use the following rating scale: 1 = My Personal Favorites! 2 = I Would Love For You To Do This For Me! 3 = I Would Love To Do This For You! 4 = Lets Discuss This Idea Further! 5 = There Aint No Way, Baby! Have fun with this list of 13 ideas. The bottom line of each article in this series is really two-fold. First, I want you to learn to think of the wants, needs and desires of your spouse before you think of your own. Second, I want you to learn to have fun together again! Let your imagination run wild! Try actually doing the things listed in this article. If you will do just one activity each week from the entire series of articles, you will increase the intimacy in your relationship (at least once a week) for an entire year! You can find all the articles in this series in the Feature Articles Section of K-9 Outfitters, a Division of Damascus Road Enterprises. Danny Presswood, 2006 All Rights Reserved. |
