Playing with Your Partner (and no, this isn’t just about sex!)
Finding Joy in Your Relationship
Photo by sept commercial on Unsplash
‘Tis the season for fun, joy, + love! Christmas is right around the corner (for those of us who celebrate it) and I want to encourage you to find joy in your relationship this season. Actively seeking joy is a mindset shift and studies show that a joyful mindset has many benefits including improved heart health, the ability to combat stress more effectively, a stronger immune system, an overall healthier lifestyle, the potential to reduce pain, and increased life longevity.
How joyful are you as a person? Are you more optimistic or pessimistic? Do you prefer to complain or to seek opportunities? How comfortable are you with joy? What does joy even mean to you?
It’s important for you to practice joy yourself because you want to start working on yourself before pointing fingers and blaming others for the lack of joy in your life. Do you know how to play? Children love to play. We all grow up playing but tend to think we “grow out” of playing and that life is too serious for us to play as adults.
This isn’t true. Yes, being an adult can be hard but it’s important to hold onto your joy and playful self. Having this mindset helps you cultivate curiosity, creativity, and imagination. Joy and play help you see opportunities in new, unique perspectives that may benefit your life in ways you would have missed if you didn’t have a mindset of joy and play.
What is play? Play is anything lighthearted and fun that you enjoy. Yes, this can be about sex, but playing with your partner is so much more than sex. It’s finding joy in yourself and your partner, together and separately.
Play is about letting go of the seriousness of life every now and then and simply enjoying it. It’s ok to not always be focused on productivity, work, or your kids. Incorporating play into your life benefits all of these areas of your life.
If you are struggling with the idea of building joy into your life and your relationship, schedule a Discovery Call with me! I’d be happy to explore this mindset shift with you.
So how do you play with your partner? How often do you find joy in your partner? Do you appreciate their humor? Do you laugh at their jokes? Do you joke with them? Do you flirt together? What do you two do together for fun? Below are some playful date ideas to try with your partner this winter season.
12 Playful Winter Dates:
Have a snowball fight with your partner!
Host a competition for who is the best hot chocolate maker. Create your own hot chocolate recipe and do a taste test to see who makes the best hot chocolate.
Go sledding together!
Go on a horse-drawn sleigh ride together
Try ice skating together!
Cut down your own Christmas tree and decorate it with homemade ornaments that you and your partner made (yes, that means you have to make your own ornaments!)
Go skiing together! Try a new mountain or ski trail together that you’ve been wanting to try
Make a snowman and dress them up!
Go see a light show or drive around to see all the Christmas lights
Try Christmas caroling together
Go snowmobiling together!
Try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing together
Actively incorporating joy in your life can dramatically change your relationship. Your partner will notice the difference in your mindset and may even join you. Have fun playing with your partner on these dates! Let me know how much fun you have on them! If you are looking for ways to build gratitude into your relationship in addition to joy, check out my free guide – 30 Days of Gratitude for Your Partner! I can’t wait for you to add more joy and gratitude to your life and relationship!
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Thumbnail photo by sept commercial on Unsplash
