10 Ways to Show Affection in Your Relationship
10 Ways to Cherish + Love Your Partner on a Deeper Level
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
Affection is an important part of any relationship and the lack of affection can be felt on many levels - emotionally, mentally, physically, and even spiritually. Affection can help you feel connected, appreciated, and loved.
Last week we explored what a lack of affection may look and feel like. If you missed that post, you can read it here. This week we are exploring 10 ways to show affection to your partner and 5 ways to show affection to others in your life in a platonic manner.
There are many ways to show affection, but physical affection is arguably the most common way to show affection to those in your life. Physical affection in your romantic relationships can be described as a close, possibly sensual proximity to your partner and can look like holding hands, hugging, kissing, cuddling, massaging, and caressing each other in both sexual and non-sexual ways.
Studies have found that happier couples show greater physical affection to their partners than unhappy couples. Studies have also found that “partners who touched each other more and who were happier with the amount of touch they were receiving tended to be more sexually satisfied and were happier in their relationships.”
So how can you show affection to your partner to help increase your relationship satisfaction and happiness? Keep reading to find out!
10 Ways to Show Affection to Your Partner
Learn your partner’s love language, then learn how to speak and express their love language to them.
Pray for your partner.
Run your fingers through their hair (I love it when my partner plays with my hair while we’re relaxing in the evenings!)
Ask your partner how you can be a better partner to them. Listen to learn, not to defend yourself, but so you can learn something new about how your partner views love and your relationship.
Take a couples massage course and learn how to give each other massages
Surprise your partner with a passionate kiss.
Give your partner your undivided attention when they are speaking to you, and really listen to what they are sharing with you.
Set aside time every day to connect, even if it’s only for 5-10 minutes. Use this time for your partings and greetings and to check in on how their day went, what small wins they had today, and how you can support each other throughout the rest of the week.
Start a Gratitude Jar and write down each little thing you’re thankful that your partner does for you and then pick a day each month for you two to go through the jar and see what you each were grateful for during the month.
Look for ways and times to give your partner a 30-second hug. You can do this once a day or multiple times a day. Sometimes it’s nice just to be held by your partner, even when you don’t think you need a hug.
Which of these ways of showing affection to your partner are you already doing? Which are you most excited to try? And what about the other people in your life that you want to show affection to? How do you show non-sexual affection to others?
5 Ways to Show Non-Sexual Affection to Those in Your Life
A consensual hug or comforting touch such as an arm-squeeze to show support, a side hug (can be a safer option for those who are uncomfortable with physical touch), or a comforting back pat (upper back, not a massage, just a light pat on the back).
Genuinely compliment them.
Provide judgment-free space and healthy support for them when they come to you for help with big decisions.
Try an activity together or participate in a favorite hobby together. Hiking, rock climbing, contra dancing, camping, dancing, paddleboarding - there are so many activities that you can enjoy together as friends or family.
Practice a mindset of positive intent - give them the benefit of the doubt. Remember, even though we love thinking that the world revolves around each of us individually, it doesn’t. Everyone has their own struggles and challenges so don’t let others’ bad behavior make you think they don’t like you, don’t appreciate you, or are angry with you. Sometimes a bad day is just a bad day.
Showing affection can be easy for some people and incredibly difficult for others. And receiving affection from others can be easy for some and challenging for others. The key is to keep showing affection even if it’s not received well at first. You are showing that you care and value others when you express affection. Learning how to graciously receive affection also requires practice. Don’t just brush off someone’s affection, rather figure out a way that you are comfortable with receiving affection and practice receiving affection in a loving manner.
If you are struggling with showing or receiving affection in your relationship and would like to explore how you can improve this aspect in your relationship, please schedule a Discovery Call with me! I’d be happy to coach you around affection in your relationship!
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Thumbnail Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
