No matter how strong your relationship is there are always ways you can improve your communication and intimacy. Some people may think improvement means there is something wrong, however that’s not always the case. Actively working to keep your relationship healthy and both partners happy is a great way to ensure you’re building something that will last. Relationships take work and finding something that can be easily practiced and maintained throughout your relationship is a great way to keep your bond strong.
One idea is to incorporate mindfulness into your daily to-dos. This has been shown to improve relationships through a better understanding of both the person engaging in mindfulness and their partner.
Mindfulness is a practice that can help you to become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and actions in the present moment. It helps those who practice it live more fully in the present, and to connect more deeply with day-to-day experiences. It can also reduce stress, anxiety, and negative emotions overall. All of these things are, of course, important to address in order to build and maintain lasting partnerships. When we’re our best selves, the relationship will also naturally be at its best, too.
It's important to note that mindfulness is not about trying to control or change our thoughts and feelings. It is about observing them with curiosity and compassion. When we practice mindfulness, we bring our attention to the present moment, without judgment. We simply notice our thoughts and feelings and allow them to be as they are.
With mindfulness, we can learn to respond to our thoughts and feelings (and our partners, by default) in a more mindful and compassionate way. We can learn to let go of judgment, and to simply be with each experience.
Since mindfulness teaches us how to be more aware of our emotions, too. It allows us to process them on the spot, so that any negative feelings can be connected with and thrown away rather than suppressed.
As the old saying goes, communication is key. When emotions are high our brains often begin to panic, and we may lash out instead of trying to fix the problem. This can cause unnecessary fighting with little to no resolution. However, when we have a better understanding of why we are feeling what we are feeling and how our partner feels it allows us to be more compassionate and honest. Deep-seated feelings of anger, jealousy and other negative emotions were not pushed away and allowed to pile up until it’s too late.
Many people struggle with expressing how they feel to others. Mindfulness helps us better define our emotions and where they may be coming from, so we can decide whether or not it is something that needs to be expressed to our partner. In general, we can use mindfulness to improve our communication with others by being more present and attentive. When we are mindful, we are more likely to see both our own and other people's points of view. We can also be more patient and tolerant of differences in opinion.
Sometimes, we do not always realize how our actions may be affecting our loved one. Mindfulness teaches us how to recognize patterns in our behaviors and home in on any that are not productive. It also allows us to identify new patterns that are healthier for ourselves and our relationships while even considering the underlying causes of these behaviors, so we don’t repeat the same circumstances that caused them to begin with.
Most people go about their daily routine hardly thinking of how these things may impact their partner. You may wake up in the morning and make yourself some coffee because that’s what you do every morning; however, did you consider in that moment that your partner may want some as well? Being more aware of our actions and daily lives gives us the opportunity to give more appreciation towards our partners (and ourselves).
Another way in which mindfulness can have a positive impact on relationships is by relieving stress. Lowering stress improves many areas of our lives, relationships included. When you are stressed you may be less likely to show affection or talk to your partner positively, while you are more likely to argue about insignificant things because you may be in a negative mindset. Practicing mindfulness for a few minutes each day can reduce stress levels, which in return, improve mood. While no one can be expected to always be in a positive mood, it certainly can help improve your relationship by reducing stress as much as possible.
Improving your relationship doesn’t always have to be difficult. Adding mindfulness into your daily routine takes minimal time and comes with exponential rewards. Just a few minutes each day can help train the brain to be more aware of the present and of your thoughts and feelings in each moment so you can live a more positive life.
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