9 Ways to Improve Communication in Relationships

man and woman holding hand

9 Ways to Improve Communication in Relationships

 

Communication in relationships plays a significant role in ensuring a happy and healthy relationship. For better communication in your relationship, you should learn how to listen more and talk less. The need to improve communication skills in a relationship can be overwhelming. The tips below can help improve connection through better communication.

The importance of communication in relationships cannot be underestimated. As you may know or have experienced, real connections are lost if there is no communication in relationships. However, what does healthy communication look like? How can you ensure that you communicate effectively in your relationship? Similarly, how can you improve communication if you are in a romantic relationship with someone you just met on Dating Ranking? Below are some tips on improving communication in relationships.

1. Identify Your Communication Styles

Before focusing on improving communication in relationships, it is important to understand that not everyone shares the same communication preferences. While some people like talking, others prefer touching or are more visual. Most communication issues in relationships occur if partners fail to understand each other’s style.

Effective communication in a relationship can be realized once you acknowledge this. For instance, you might want to convey some information, but you should know how to pass the information. Slight miscommunication can lead to misunderstandings and frustrations.

2. Ask Open-Ended Questions

Communication in a relationship isn’t just about informing each other about the days’ activities, what you had for lunch or dinner. You should leverage proper communication to dig deep and understand your partner well. However, this can be challenging, especially for those who aren’t used to discussing their feelings openly.

Fortunately, you can ask open-ended questions to avoid pressuring your partner. Asking open-ended questions instead of yes/no questions allows your partner to share any additional information about the question. Note that not everybody opens up quickly. Therefore, be patient with your partner as they break boundaries around their emotions.

Fortunately, you have several opportunities to ask these questions. For instance, you can ask them randomly when playing games at home, on date nights, picnics, or road trips.

3. Be Open and Honest

Dishonesty is among the top communication barriers in relationships. Since your share your heart desires with your partner, you shouldn’t be afraid of making your feelings and needs clear. While retreating and avoiding conflicts may seem safe and quite comfortable, it is not a good substitute for trust and won’t help you improve your communication.

Walking away or avoiding an argument is a temporary solution that should be done to achieve a brief cool-down period. If you avoid conflicts by not being open and honest, you will end up burying your emotions, which weakens your relationship.

4. Note the Non-Verbal Signs

Communication, either with friends or relationship partners, is more of how people say and not what they say. Non-verbal communication, such as tone of voice, eye contact, and body posture, communicates a lot. To communicate better, you should learn how to read these signs when conversing. Some non-verbal signs include:

  • Folded arms may indicate that the person is closed off or defensive
  • Avoiding eye contact implies that the person is not interested or ashamed of the topic of discussion
  • A loud and aggressive tone means that the person is becoming emotionally involved
  • Turning away from your position shows that the person isn’t interested

5. Be Present in the Conversation

Being present in time is an important aspect to improve communication in relationships and other encounters. When discussing issues with your partner, drop other engagements and dedicate your full attention to the conversation. This makes them feel that they have all your attention and number one priority. While it can be difficult to be fully present and mindful when angry or stressed, this shouldn’t be an excuse for poor communication in relationships.

6. Avoid Negative Patterns

If you truly understand your partner’s needs and preferred communication styles, anything that doesn’t align with their expectations might be a negative pattern. When conversing with your partner, be mindful of your pitch, volume, pace, and timbre. For instance, a highly pitched voice sounds defensive. A sentence ending in a high pitch also makes it sound like a question. Therefore, make a conscious effort to moderate these aspects of voice.

7. Listen Carefully

Most people think they are listening when talking with their partners. However, in reality, they are thinking about their next statements, especially when in an argument. Effective communication in a relationship cuts both ways. While it can be challenging, try to listen to your partners’ thoughts without interrupting or acting defensive. Hear them out and reflect back before you start speaking.

8. Take a Time Out

In some situations, heated tempers may make it difficult to continue with the discussion without escalating to an argument or fight. If you note that your partner is becoming angry or showing destructive patterns, consider taking a break to calm down. The break can mean a walk or stroll in your backyard before resuming the conversation some minutes or hours later. Good communication in a relationship also involves knowing when to take such breaks.

couple at sunset

9. Ask for Help

Seeking external help is another good way of improving communication in relationships. If you find that you can’t stay respectful and constructive when handling a conflict, you can benefit from sessions with a relationship therapist. Family therapy can help you adopt new ways of resolving future conflicts and tips for better communication in relationships.

Bottom Line

Lack of communication in relationships can negatively affect your relationship. Unfortunately, most couples focus on the talking aspect of their relationship. Note that actions, too, speak loudly. Communicating with your significant other regularly through various means reminds the person of their importance in your life. While nobody is a perfect communicator, you can become a better communicator by trying these tips.

Which other hacks can improve communication in relationships? Please share them below.

How to achieve the above steps fast and easy.

Buy a copy of the Couples Intimacy game and you achieve most of the above in a done-for-you format that’s fun to play and opens up conversations that lead to improving your relationship. The key focus is on encouraging ‘Real Life Conversation’ questions and there is a mixture of trivia for ice-breakers, personal questions, relationship questions and physical intimacy topics that are all designed to get a couple talking, sharing and learning about each other. 

So there you have it! These are some of the best ways to improve communication in relationships and if it’s a couples game you are after to help get it started, then go grab a copy of our How Game Are You?™ Intimacy Edition game to help take your conversations and fun to a whole new level. View full details here or Buy Now for quick delivery direct or through Amazon (US), or Amazon (AU).

 

Authors bio:

Rebecca Shinn is a freelance writer and dating and relationship expert with a psychology degree. Her field of expertise is relationship, dating, and marriage. The important part of Rebecca’s practice is to help couples with communication skills, problem-solving skills, stress management, or financial skills. 

Rebecca started writing 2 years ago to inspire and help people to have a better dating life, healthy relationships, or find a way to keep a marriage strong for long years.

With all said above, Rebecca is proud to be a mother and a wife so she doesn’t only use her knowledge for helping others but keeping her family strong and happy.

Meaningful sex conversations

Sex Conversations

Meaningful sex conversations

Sex and sex conversations can be one of the most intimate and pleasurable moments couples can experience. However, it can also be one of the terrifying things to deal and talk about with, even with a partner. ‘How Game Are You? Couples Intimacy game’ was developed as a tool to start conversations, reduce stigma’s, increase understanding and have fun.

This helps talking about sex finally having great sex conversations so that later on you can communicate better with your partner about specific topics in a more meaningful way. We hope you get to play the game and in the meanwhile, here is an article written by Miri Mogilevsk and posted at EverydayFeminism.com, talking about difficult sex conversations.

Five reasons talking about sex can be difficult:

  • Internalized Sexual Stigma. To be brought up in an environment where sexuality is stigmatized, it’s not easy to tell yourself no matter how you want to believe that there’s nothing bad shameful about it. This can result to being self-conscious, or being anxious talking about it.
  • Not Knowing the Words to Use. It’s sometimes hard to talk about sex because we just don’t know which terms we should use. To either use the more clinical or the vulgar ones. And basically, there’s nothing wrong or weird about using these terms but having gotten used to seeing them in health textbooks and dating sites chat messages, makes it a lot harder to use them in a more positive way.
  • Cultural Scripts About Sex. One good example, is how romantic movies portray couples hooking up for the first time in an amazing and passionate way. We are aware that this scenes are not truly real, but still many of us still ends up believing this fantasies.
  • Bad Previous Experience. You might have done this before and in an earnest way, but somehow .got a bad reaction from the other party. Doing it all over again with another person might just trigger fear of rejection again.
  • Past Trauma. If you have a history of sexual trauma, then sex is just not the right topic for you, even with someone already close to you. It might just bring up old wounds and scary memories.

But, whatever reasons you and your partner has now for not being able to talk about sex in your relationship, there are always ways to make it easier:

  • Use Checklists. The use of checklist are mostly common to the BDSM.kink communities, where potential partners need to negotiate and arrange their acts before they play. However, using checklist can also be helpful to the ones that do the familiar routine. This list can act like a menu in your favourite restaurant! This will allow you both to take what options and actions to take before that moment rather than during that moment. Here are two great example of list you can check from Autostraddle and Scarleteen.
  • Ask Them What They Like – And What They Don’t. If you partner is now more comfortable with a direct conversation about the matter, it’s sometimes a lot better to start it by asking them what they prefer rather than specifying your own. As you discover what your partner want to dos and not to dos, you might find out common grounds that would make talking a lot easier.
  • Share Erotica or Porn That You Like with Your Partner. If you’re the type of person who’s comfortable of showing you partner things that turn you on, then erotica and porn might help your partner understand and learn more of you preferences. Unfortunately, pornography has been overused nowadays that it turned out to be unrealistic. And this is an important fact that you should put in mind.
  • Take the Conversation Out of the Bedroom. Talking with your partner about sex while you’re doing it or just about to, is not really the best of time. The worst thing is the feeling that you’re just doing something you don’t like just to make your partner happy. Then, establishing these limits outside of the bed might turn out to be easier. You can always ask your partner for a good time to talk about it or just letting the conversation flow when it’s brought up in a discussion.
  • Remember That Sex Doesn’t Have to be Awesome Right Away. Sometimes people are just sexually incompatible. Sometimes people’s body are not just capable of what they want to do with each other. And sometimes people’s sex drive just differ. And apart from that, most of the time it’s just too much to put everything on the table the first time you do it together. So, after all it’s really okay along the way.

Good sex is a wonderful thing. Therefore, buy the How Game Are You? Couples Intimacy game to take things up a notch. The game is now available through our website, Amazon (US and AU) and Ebay (AU). You can view full details here or order your own copy of the game now and be one of the first to receive it. Let the fun begin and take your intimate relationship to another level.

New Date Night Ideas

New Date Night Ideas

New Date Night Ideas

On your first date, a nice meal and a few drinks is all it really takes. But after a while and you get more comfortable as time passes, it can be fun to add a little ‘spark’ back into date night. Instead of the same-old, maybe it’s time to get more creative with new date night ideas.

Below are 25 date night ideas to get you started, from things like a foodie date night eating each course at a different restaurant, to outdoorsy ideas for nature enthusiasts and Ferris Wheel adventures. Pick your favourite new ideas and use the others as inspiration for something else you might prefer. We’re sure your partner will certainly appreciate the effort and you might surprise yourself on how much fun and connecting it can be.

  1. Recreate the First Date You Ever Had Together – If you went to a movie, rent the same movie. If you went out for dinner, go back to the same restaurant or make the dish that you ate at home.
  2. Appreciation and Gratitude night – Set out a few candles, a nice healthy and light meal, and each do an exercise together of writing down at least 10 things you appreciate in your partner, and then at least 10 things you are grateful for in the world. Explain your list to each other and maybe talk through future plans on things you’d like to do more together.
  3. Kiss, Kiss, Kiss – Not for a first date, but if you’re a more seasoned pair, try mastering these 36 kisses: French Kiss, Sniff Kiss, Nip Kiss, Eskimo Kiss, Butterfly Kiss, Basic Kiss, Spiderman Kiss, Flavored Kiss, Vacuum Kiss, Fish Kiss, Tease Kiss, Candy Kiss, Ice Kiss, Firm Kiss, From Behind Kiss, Slow Motion Kiss, Opposite Kiss, Downward Kiss, Tickle Kiss, No Lips Kiss, Blow Kiss, Woodpecker Kiss, Lady and the Tramp Kiss, Shocking Kiss, High Low Kiss, Kiss on the Hand, Kiss on the Cheek, Kiss on the Neck, Kiss on the Fingers, Kiss on the Shoulder, Kiss on the Ear, Kiss on the Back, Kiss on the Navel, Kiss on the Nose, Kiss on the Eyes, Kiss on the Forehead. Not sure what they all mean? Just have fun with it.
  4. Do Something a Little Bad – Skinny dipping, light sidewalk graffiti, doing something you aren’t supposed to be doing can actually bring couples together. Plus, it’s great for a future story.
  5. Stargaze – It’s a bit of a cliché, but completely romantic. Who could resist a date that involves stargazing? To get started, download the Night Sky app so you actually know what you are looking at.
  6. Plan a Picnic – Whether you’re heading to a park, beach or even just your backyard or fire escape, put down a blanket, get a spread of yummy snacks, a bottle of wine, and you’ve got yourself a lovely, low-cost date.
  7. Go Camping – Borrow equipment from a friend if you don’t have your own, cook marshmallows over an open fire, and completely unplug from technology. You can even do this in your backyard if time is tight.
  8. Head on a (Mini) Road Trip – Pick a destination about an hour from where you live. It could be anything from a flea market to a restaurant off the beaten path and just drive.
  9. Head to the Farm and go Berry Picking – Berry picking is a fun activity, and one that allows for a lot of talking and getting to know each other.
  10. Take a Craft Brewery Tour – Learn something and get good beer in the process? This is pretty much a foolproof date. To find a tour, start by calling a microbrewery near you and go from there.
  11. Go to a Fancy Bar and Dress Up – Get dressed up, go to a fancy bar (hotel bars are an easy choice), and try something off the exotic cocktails list.
  12. Take a Workout Class – Take a spin class, a rowing class, or one of the myriads of trendy boutique workout classes that have popped up just about everywhere in recent years. Couples that sweat together, stay together.
  13. Rent a ‘Dream Car’ or convertible – Take your partner and your dream car you’ve rented on a daytime or weekend adventure, even if it’s just driving and exploring.
  14. Troll for Photobooths – Spend an evening looking for photobooths and taking fun photos together. The souvenirs from the evening are just a bonus.
  15. Take a Ride on a Ferris Wheel – Countless romantic comedies feature couples falling in love at the top of the Ferris wheel, and with good reason. Plus, there is something so nostalgic and wonderful about heading to a local fair or amusement park on a date.
  16. Take a Boxing Class Together – Not your typical date, get the endorphins flowing taking a boxing class together.
  17. Shop for Each Other – Head to a thrift store, set a budget, and pick out outfits for each other!
  18. Visit a Museum and See Something Unexpected – Going to a museum is a great date idea. Go see a controversial show, and the conversation will flow easily from there.
  19. Learn to Dance – Find a dance studio that offer sessions for first timers and couples. Looking to do something special? Consider booking a private lesson to start or just subscribe to local studios and they’ll often send out special promos and invitations.
  20. Meet for Drinks at a Local Landmark – From the Eiffel Tower, to the Empire State Building, to the Top of the Space Needle – head to a local landmark and admire the view, while creating your own movie worthy moment. If you’re on a mid-price budget, have a drink at home before you get public transport to the venue, share earbuds to listen to a special soundtrack/new band together on the way, have a fancy cocktail at the venue, then off to a gourmet pizza place after.
  21. Volunteer Together – A great first date idea, head anywhere from a soup kitchen to a home for the elderly to volunteer, while getting to know your date.
  22. Sing Karaoke – While you are on your karaoke date, don’t forget to do a duet. When in doubt, Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe” can’t be beat.
  23. Make Homemade Pizzas with Wild Toppings – Instead of just any dinner, make homemade pizzas, and don’t be afraid to go wild with the toppings.
  24. Work on a DIY Project – Look through Pinterest for a project, and then execute it together.
  25. Have a Game Night – Dust off some of the fun games in the cupboard, or better still, How Game Are You?™ Intimacy Edition and plan a night in to talk, laugh, share and connect more with each other.

Hopefully a few of these date night ideas resonate with you already and are new. Some involve a little planning so maybe create a shortlist with your partner and plan to do one each month as a special treat, on top of your normal date night routine. View the details of the game or buy it now here or on Amazon You’ll often get back what you put into a relationship, so time to have fun and let’s see ‘How Game Are You?™’?

Knowing Your Marriage Etiquette

Knowing Your Marriage Etiquette

Knowing Your Marriage Etiquette

Just as there are work and social conduct/etiquette guidelines that have evolved for keeping us civil, respectful and working together, there are certain and mostly unwritten etiquette needs to help keep a marriage going strong and being respectful. Many marriages have certain customary practices that form part of this and can be supportive. But, this can also get lost along the way in our busy lives.

We recently read an article on this written by Tiya Cunningham-Sumter and have summarised her list of what is the very least a partnership should have and then some etiquette tips. So, do a little exercise and rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 on how you would rate your marriage in these areas:

Love

Respect

Courtesy

Honesty

Friendship

Sincerity

Sacrifice

Commitment

Trust

Giving

Support

Encouragement

Communication

Marriage Etiquette 101

Scoring high in each of this categories is vital if you’re looking at a healthy marriage. Each partnership might be unique and what might work in one doesn’t have to work in another. However, when it comes to etiquette, here’s a few list that works for a majority of couples:

A married person should not stay out all night.

All outside friends should be friends of the marriage.

A married person should never hide the fact they are married.

They should communicate with their partner when they’re upset.

He or she should nip any inappropriate relationships in the bud.

One must make their spouse a priority.

Couples should never flirt with someone other than their spouse (harmless or not).

Following this set of unspoken agreements might not be easy to follow. But if your end goal is a healthy relationship, we must at least be willing to respect and obey this. Finally, creating a relationship we love takes a little sacrifice of commitment and honoring our partners.

Another way, is to visit the full article at blackAndmarriedwithkids.com and start evaluating how is your marriage etiquette.

If you need some help and some extra fun, buy the How Game Are You? Couples Intimacy game to take things up a notch. How Game Are You? Couples Intimacy Edition is now available through our website, Amazon (US and AU) and Ebay (AU). You can view full details here or order your own copy of the game now and be one of the first to receive it. Let the fun and romance begin and take your intimate relationship to another level.

Making Relationship Close And Connected Again

Making Relationship Close And Connected Again

Making Relationship Close And Connected Again

When we feel disconnected and unfulfilled in our relationships, we often believe that we need something more. Also sometimes at least something different from our partners for us to be happy.

However, being happy and getting what we truly desire has more to do with us being aware of ourselves. This includes understanding what intimacy really is.

In making relationship close and connected again, we think that to have the intimacy we desire. We have to spend a lot more time and have long deep talks with our partner. We tend to think back of the connection we have felt in the beginning and wish making relationship work again.

Why things are different in the beginning?

  • “In the beginning of my relationship I felt really close to my partner and we loved learning new things about each other. We spent a lot of time together, walking hand in hand and fully enjoying each other’s company. I felt a deep connection just by looking in his eyes and not saying anything. Everything felt good, easy. Then I couldn’t help but notice that something had changed. I didn’t feel as close to my partner as I’d felt in the beginning. Soon I realized what had caused this disconnect.” ~Heidi Paavilainen

What makes us feel disconnected?

In the beginning of our relationship, we use to live more in the moment, we want to know each other more, fully enjoy each other’s company and appreciate our partner more. However, as we get used to our partner, we start to live more in our heads.

Instead of experiencing the relationship, we experience our thoughts of the relationship and the other person.

We start to make assumptions about them and what they’re telling us, taking them a bit for granted.

What intimacy really is?

We fully experience intimacy when our head is in a natural state – peaceful. Intimacy is simply being in a clear and relaxed mind, fully enjoying each other’s company and having our focus on the other person, not thinking about anything else.

Because when your head in clear and relaxed you are able to take in life fully and appreciate the relationship more.

The Importance of Being Present

  • “When I feel a lack of closeness in my relationship, I know that it is time for me to quiet down. It is time to calm my mind and start to listen to my partner again.
  • Am I really hearing what he is saying, or am I listening to my own thoughts and judgments about him?”

Oftentimes, simply quieting the mind leads to a deeper level of connection not just to ourselves but also towards the relationship. It helps us to find again the closeness and intimacy that was often innocently lost as we are in a relationship for a longer time.

And at the same time as we listen and appreciate our partners, you are also helping them to quiet their minds and feel close to you again.

Learning to come back to the present moment again, brings out the best in each other. We might not be able to change that person, however, we can always learn to bring out the best in them and ourselves – experiencing more love and intimacy.

If you need some help in making relationship close and connected again, buy the How Game Are You? Couples Intimacy game to take things up a notch. How Game Are You? Couples Intimacy Edition is now available through our website, Amazon (US and AU) and Ebay (AU). You can view full details here or order your own copy of the game now and be one of the first to receive it. Let the fun and romance begin and take your intimate relationship to another level of closeness and connection.

For the complete article visit Heidi Paavilainen at TinyBuddha.com and learn more how you can feel close and connected with your partner again.

Restoring Intimacy In A Relationship

Restoring Intimacy In A Relationship

Restoring Intimacy In A Relationship

In restoring intimacy in a relationship, Marriage/Couples Counselor Nicola Beer points out the 3 main reasons why couples struggle to restore intimacy and connection after a breakdown. Below are some ways on restoring intimacy in a struggling relationship. Men and women view intimacy differently. Men and women tend to have a different view on what it means to intimate. And here’s how each views intimacy:

For men, intimacy is:

  • A physical connection.
  • Foreplay.
  • Holding hands, hugging, and kissing.
  • Physical time alone together.
  • Sexual intimacy.
  • Doing things together.

For women, intimacy is:

  • An emotional connection.
  • Sharing important issues.
  • Listening to things about their husband’s day.
  • Being able to cry about emotional events and experiences together.
  • Being emotionally aware when feelings are hurt.
  • Knowing one another’s hopes and dreams.

Fear of intimacy. This includes the fear of getting hurt and being vulnerable. Also the fear of rejection, the fear of failure or disappointment. Finally the fear of abandonment and the fear of being engulfed and losing yourself in a relationship.

Failing to recognise the 7 core areas of intimacy. We have our beliefs of what intimacy is and are sometimes being blinded by it. However, we fail to recognise that we need more than one type of intimacy for a relationship be lasting, fulfilling and close.

Here are the 7 types of intimacy that Nicola Beer identified in the most successful marriages.

  • Self Intimacy: Having a good relationship with ourselves.
  • Emotional Intimacy: This is learning to be vulnerable and expressing from your heart your true desires and even pain.
  • Conflict Intimacy: This is all about respect and being respectful even in when you’re in an argument.
  • Affection Intimacy: Showing you care with words, physical touch in a non-sexual way and even through thoughtful gifts.
  • Sexual Intimacy: Opening up intimately, feeling safe, desired, and cherished.
  • Dream Intimacy: To have a shared goal and supporting each other to achieve each individual goals and dreams.

Every successful relationship needs tending to keep it successful. Here’s another article on how to feel close and connected in your relationship again. Another good option is to buy the How Game Are You? Couples Intimacy game to take things up a notch.

How Game Are You? Couples Intimacy Edition is now available through our website, Amazon (US and AU) and Ebay (AU). You can view full details here or order your own copy of the game now and be one of the first to receive it. Let the fun and romance begin finally and take your intimate relationship to another level. For the complete article, visit Nicola Beer’s Save My Marriage website and discover more about restoring intimacy in a struggling relationship.

What happens to your body when you stop having sex

Your Body When You Stop Sex

What happens to your body when you stop having sex

There is hardly anything that contributes to a better mood or offers more fun than one of the most beautiful pastimes in the world. But the importance of a healthy and regular sex life really is often underestimated. Here are eight good reasons why you should not neglect your sex life. Because this is what happens to your body when you stop having sex:

Why a healthy sex life not only ensures a good mood

1. You get sick more often

If you don’t have sex for a long time, your immune system becomes significantly weaker. Germs then have an easier job of spreading in your body and you can catch a cold or get the flu more easily. So, just by having more sex, you can help keep your herbal remedy teas in the closet!

2. Your stress levels increase

Sex is a great way to reduce your stress levels. Regular sex reduces the amount of stress hormones and makes you feel more relaxed in everyday life. Without this important balance, you could become a ticking time bomb!

3. It’s harder for you to get aroused

It’s hard to believe, but true: If you don’t regularly “practice,” it’s difficult for a lot of people to become aroused. Men can experience problems having erections and it can be harder for women to have an orgasm. So, you have to stay on top of things to make sure the “switch” always remains on.

4. Your dreams change

Some people suddenly notice that they have strange dreams when their sex life is suffering. It can mean that you unexpectedly start dreaming about sex or have orgasms in your sleep.

5. Over time you lose your desire to have sex

If you’re having a prolonged dry spell in the sexual sense, the production of sex hormones reduces. You feel less like having sex if you have been abstinent for a while. In addition, your libido will eventually feel different. And this is all due to the fact that your sex hormones are slowly vanishing.

6. You’ll feel more distance between your partner and yourself

When a couple in a relationship only rarely sleep together, their interpersonal distance becomes greater. You may start to have feelings of uncertainty related to your partner and other people will seem more attractive to you.

7. It lowers your feeling of self-worth

It is a person’s self-worth is harmed, if that individual does not regularly feel desired. But a lack of sex has been proven to affect a person’s well-being, leading to sadness or depression when sex is absent from their lives. Studies have shown that having sex regularly helps fight depression. It can sometimes even work as well as antidepressants.

8. Your risk of cancer increases

For metate cancer increases when they don’t have sex for a longer period of time. So it’s not a bad idea for men to “flush out” the pipes. Because then the risk is significantly reduced. Well, motivation enough, then I don’t know what is!

For all these reasons, it would be almost irresponsible not to make love more regularly, don’t you think?! If you need some help and some extra fun, buy the How Game Are You? Couples Intimacy game to take things up a notch.

The game includes 4 CHILLI CARDS that has sex topics in them. These are optional and in a sealed section so only select them if you want to change things up a little. They have stylised images on them of sex positions, toys and hair styles for you to make names up for. The game is now available through our website, Amazon (US and AU) and Ebay (AU). You can view full details here or order your own copy of the game now and be one of the first to receive it. Let the fun and romance begin and take your intimate relationship to another level.

Source: icreative.am; hefty.co

Sexual mindset to save your sex life

Sexual Mindset To Save Your Sex Lives

Sexual mindset to save your sex life

Sex therapist Vanessa Marin gives 5 ways to adjust your sexual mindset to get your sex life re-invigorated. Here’s a good read on adjusting your sexual attitude and thinking and sexual mindset to save your sex lives. Read sex therapist Vanessa Marin’s five pieces of advice.

1. Be more playful.

  • Just be yourself in the bedroom rather than the opposite. Feel free to laugh and joke around while you’re in bed with your partner. And finally, welcome the silly side of sex. Remember, sex is supposed to be fun.

2. Get better at initiation and rejection.

  • Unskilled initiation and rejection are toxic to a relationship. It can cultivate resentment, anxiety, and contempt.Mismatched sexual will always be in a relationship but it’s about respectfully and carefully handling them. Playing as a team instead, rather than of opposing each other.

To help you adjust your sexual mindset to save your sex lives, below are some basic guidelines Vanessa Marin gave to her clients:

A. Initiating

    • State what you want clearly, but don’t act as if you’re demanding.
    • Be honestly interested in how your partner feels.
    • Ask if there’s a way you can help your partner feel more open to connecting.
    • If you get turned down, feel your disappointment but void sulking or being rude. But instead, allow yourself to feel dejected.

B. Rejecting

    • Really listen to your partner’s initiation, and give yourself a moment to consider it. Don’t reject your partner directly. See if you can find even a slight urge of wanting to connect and feel pleasure. Just don’t pressure yourself though, to do things that you don’t want to do.
    • See if there’s something different you want instead.
    • Give an honest reason for why you’re not interested. This is not because your partner deserves an explanation, but this will lessen the feeling of being dejected.
    • Let your partner feel disappointed. It’s OK for you to say no, and it’s OK for him or her to feel let down.

3. Focus to make pleasure always.

  • you put your head on the pleasure you’ll find how easy it is to orgasm.
  • Tell your partner what feels good, that way you’ll figure out what you really want.
  • This reduces body consciousness.
  • Focusing on pleasure helps you be more present in the moment and less distracted of other things that might get your head crowded, making sex less fun.
  • Makes life enjoyable as you find pleasure in your ordinary daily routine.

4. Value and protect your sex life. Giving value to your sex life ensures it to be healthy. Here are some of Vanessa’s suggestions:

  • Tell yourself and your partner that sex is important.
  • Ask for what you want honestly and openly, without feeling guilt.
  • Talk about the state of your sexual relationship regularly.
  • Actively invest in your sex life. Do things like schedule date nights, buy fancy lingerie and quality sex toys, or read sexual technique books together.
  • Turn off your cell phones, laptops, even your television and make time for each other.

5. Have a beginner’s mind. There are a number ways you can experiment with sex. Look at it as something new to learn and try. Because sex is something you will never be able to fully master!

If you need some help and some extra fun, buy the How Game Are You? Couples Intimacy game to take things up a notch. How Game Are You? Couples Intimacy Edition is now available through our website, Amazon (US and AU) and Ebay (AU). You can view full details here or order your own copy of the game now and be one of the first to receive it. Let the fun and romance begin and take your intimate relationship to another level.

Build intimacy through connecting more

Building Intimacy Through Connecting More

Build intimacy through connecting more

Here’s a summary from Jamie Long, on 12 thirty-second ways to connect more with your partner:

  • Daily touch. Human needs physical contact, it’s one of our most basic needs! A kiss or a hug will always create a difference as you both start your daily routines. And make sure to make it last at least 30 seconds.
  • Be curious. C.A.R.E. (Consideration, Attention to health and wellness, Responsibility. Taking responsibility for one’s action/attitude not blaming others. Expression of Love, Kindness, and Compassion) and ditch the obligatory “How was your day?”!
  • Side with your partner. Allow your partner to vent to you with his/her simple or little quarrels with someone else and practice siding with him/her even if he’s in the wrong. You can maybe have the comments on a different interaction.
  • Express Gratitude. Let your partner know how you appreciate him/her today even for just that simple breakfast shared together before going to work.
  • Sleep naked. It appears that removing the outer barrier (pajamas) is a quick secret to staying active under the covers. 😉
  • Relive a memory. Remember a funny story, a touching and sweet moment, or look through old photographs. Remember what brought you together when things feel disconnected.
  • Create new memories. Even just simple ones, they really don’t have to be that splendid, even just creating a new routine before bedtime that you both will enjoy will definitely do.
  • Listen to him or her. Assuming your partner is feeling or thinking can slowly damage one’s relationship. Practice listening to them and understand the stories behind things.
  • Share a laugh. As Dr. Gottman explains in The Relationship Cure, all that playfulness requires is a “willingness to turn toward another’s sense of silliness… and have a little bit of fun!” Humor can sure reduce tension and lighten the mood. Think of those things that make you and your partner laugh and share it.
  • Expressions of love and kindness. Preparing a simple breakfast or dinner, a sweet note stuck in your partner’s car/pocket or a message via a steam on your bathroom’s mirror. Little yet acts filled with love and kindness.
  • Flirt. Talk about sex with your partner, wear something you would wear on your honeymoon, think as if it’s your first date.
  • Turn off the electronics. Keep your mobile devices off and do #11.

If you need some help and some extra fun in connecting, buy the How Game Are You? Couples Intimacy game to take things up a notch. The game is now available through our website, Amazon (US and AU) and Ebay (AU). You can view the details here or order your own copy of the game now and be one of the first to receive it. Let the fun, connection and romance begin and build your intimate relationship to another level.

Sexual scripts game

Sexual Scripts That Will Save Your Sex Life

Sexual scripts game

Sexual scripts that will save your sex life are needed to be updated in relationships over time to keep the physical relationship vibrant. Sometimes sexual scripts (e.g. kissing > foreplay > intercourse) or the way you’re getting sexual with your partner can get so boring. This happens because of strenuous, full of anxiety and sometimes being blocked by our emotional barriers and baggage.

According to Lisa Thomas, LMFT and Clinical Sex therapist, sexual scripts needs to be updated in relationships over time to keep the physical relationship vibrant. Additionally, having a sexual script that you both are not enjoying can lead to sexual dysfunction, dissatisfaction and low frequency. On the other hand, sexual scripts that work for both of you can lead a couple’s intimate relationship to a new level of connection.

Below she summarized some guideline to help couples rewrite a sexual script that is satisfying, pleasurable and relaxing:

  1. Kiss for 5 minutes. Kissing helps you get aroused, ready for sex, reduces anxiety as it relaxes as.
  2. Don’t skip foreplay and take turn giving and receiving. Foreplay is the most intimate step of the sexual process. It represents the part of a sexual encounter where you take turns in pleasuring each other. Oral stimulation is one example of foreplay. Try talking about it with your partner outside the bedroom as something you both want to explore.
  3. Say something like “that feels good” or like what they are doing by giving them gestures. Your partner would often want to know which of their touches feels good. Give a good feedback so they’ll know what they’re doing makes you feel pleasured. And if in any way, your partner can’t grasp on what you really like, finally show them.
  4. Look at each other while being sexual. During the process of being sexual together, open your eyes and look at your partner. Looking at each other leads you both to grow sexually by confronting each one’s sexual self, by taking risks together and taking ownership of each other by being sexually connected together.
  5. Try new things that you like. This can just be, when did the last time you tried initiating, experimenting new positions, new lighting.

If you need some help, buy the How Game Are You? Couples Intimacy game to take things up a notch. The game has question cards that will promote conversation, communication and intimacy. This is now available through our website, Amazon (US and AU) and Ebay (AU). You can view full details here or order your own copy of the game now and be one of the first to receive it. Let the fun and romance begin building your sexual and intimate relationship to another level.