Eventually the honeymoon phase will wear off. The ups and downs of life and daily routines infiltrate long-term relationships, and if it is not carefully tended to, just like a plant it can wither and die.
But here’s the good news: you can bounce back with your partner – it just takes awareness, commitment, and a plan. Here are some common signs that your relationship needs tending to:
Lack of physical intimacy. Physical intimacy often wanes as hormones level off or decline, which can occur naturally with age, rise in stress levels, and lack of adequate rest or sleep. But whether you’re 25 years old or 80, you can still be physically intimate with your partner to the degree that makes sense within the reality of your relationship. The key to overcoming lack of intimacy is consistent and daily care and touch – holding hands, cuddling, hugging, love making, all play a part in rebuilding physical intimacy.
Lack of emotional intimacy. Perhaps you work a full time job, tend to children and household needs, and don’t have the time to sit down each day to emotionally connect with your spouse. When this pattern is repeated day in and out, you can quickly lose the emotional intimacy necessary to have a fulfilling relationship. Though you may be tired or stressed by your daily activities, it is imperative that you carve out time to connect with your partner. Daily work like active listening, providing positive reinforcement and words of encouragement, sharing daily events, discussing goals for the future, when practiced every day, can turn your relationship around.
Seek professional help. Marriage and family therapists are a great resource and help to families who’ve simply lost each other through the years. Their advice and recommendations can help a couple rebuild a relationship that may have been on the brink of divorce. Especially if you share children, doing everything possible to repair a relationship before seeking a separation or divorce will go a long way towards finding the best path for you and for your family moving forward.