10 Ways To Build A Strong, Emotionally Connected Marriage
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Without a solid emotional connection, relationships can easily drift apart. A strong emotional connection includes love, friendship, open communication, commitment, and investing in one another. Sharing is the glue that holds it all together. Here are ten ways to build a strong, emotionally connected marriage by sharing.
- Share Your Commitment to the relationship. In a healthy marriage, both spouses are committed enough to the relationship to face the challenges. Believe that your relationship is worth much more than the momentary feelings, and you’ll do what it takes to work through those issues. Learn to see the issue as the enemy, not each other. Even when you become frustrated, concentrate on the issue, and commit to working on it together instead of letting it come between them.
- Share What You are Feeling. Don’t expect your partner to be able to read your mind. Open communication is essential to keep the peace and express needs and feelings. Learn to listen deeply. When your spouse speaks, put your phone across the room, turn off the TV and give them direct eye contact. Ask questions to explore their thoughts.
- Share quality time. Make sure you are both making time for each other. Schedule weekly time with each other before anything else. Keep dating. Talk about things you love and try new things together.
- Share Affection & Intimacy. Be sure you are showing your spouse affection, whether mentally or physically. Whether words of affirmation or physical touch, make sure you fulfill your spouse’s need for love and physical closeness. Make time to meet each other’s sexual needs and try to spice things up from the usual bedroom routine.
- Share an Investment in Each Other. If both spouses focus only on meeting their own needs, the relationship becomes one of “taking” instead of “giving.” Suppose that both spouses focus on the happiness and growth of each other by making their partner their top priority. In that case, they are investing in each other and building a genuine emotional connection in marriage.
- Share forgiveness. Needing to be right or have the last word is detrimental to most relationships. Would you prefer to prove you’re right or maintain a happy marriage? Learn to let go of grudges and allow others to have their own opinions can save the peace.
- Share your dreams. Make a point of sharing any dreams or goals you have for the future with your partner. It helps keep them alive and motivate you to continue working toward them. It can also prompt you to dream together.
- Share Admiration & Respect. Everyone needs to be respected and appreciated for who they are. Having your spouse support you means they value you. Try to support your spouse’s achievements, build up their self-esteem, and fulfill their emotional needs. Make sure you respect their differences as much as you respect their similarities.
- Share Responsibility. For your marriage to be successful, make sure you are fair in your division of responsibilities between you and your spouse. Putting most of the load onto your spouse will likely lead to them feeling overworked and underappreciated.
- Share Experiences. Plan activities with friends and loved ones that enable you to share what’s been going on in your life and create deeper bonds. Find new fun, ways to spend time sharing experiences together and connect with others.