The Benefits of Intimacy in Your Marriage

3 images of intimate couples embracing. Text: The benefits intimacy brings to marriage.

The Benefits of Intimacy in Your Marriage: How Physical and Emotional Closeness Can Improve Your Happiness, and Relationship Quality 

Intimacy is a vital component of a healthy and satisfying marriage and without it we feel separated from our partner.

It’s the overall sense of closeness, connection, and mutual understanding that you share with your spouse.

And it can be expressed in different ways, such as physical intimacy, emotional intimacy, intellectual intimacy, and spiritual intimacy.

Below I’ll discuss how can having more intimacy benefit your marriage in terms of happiness, well-being, and relationship quality. 

You can check out my video below for even more personal details into why intimacy is so important and how you can keep that flame burning bright.

What is physical intimacy?

Physical intimacy is the most obvious form of intimacy in marriage. It involves touching, kissing, hugging, cuddling, and sexual intercourse.

We have to build up our physical intimacy everyday and throughout the day. A mistake men often make is thinking the physical intimacy starts and ends in the bedroom.

But the truth is that it has to start the moment we get out of bed in the morning. It has to become a part of our everyday.

What is emotional intimacy?

Emotional intimacy is the ability to share your feelings, thoughts, and needs with your spouse in a safe and supportive manner.

Emotional intimacy can improve your marital happiness by fostering trust, empathy, and validation.

How often have you felt distant from your partner? That’s what a lack of emotional intimacy is.

And it takes us both being willing to cross that awkwardness of reaching out emotionally for our partner.

It takes making sure they know we are open to them and their thoughts and sharing ours.

2 images of intimate couples in a park. Text: Physical and emotional intimacy has to be built up everyday with little actions like hugs touches and appreciation.

What is intellectual intimacy?

Intellectual intimacy is the exchange of ideas, opinions, and interests with your spouse in a respectful and stimulating way.

Intellectual intimacy can enhance your marital happiness by expanding your knowledge, curiosity, and creativity.

Think of when you’ve gone on a date somewhere new with your spouse. It felt exciting, it felt good, right?

That’s because when we experience new and novel things with someone, it helps to bond us together, and it doesn’t have to be some big adventure, it can be as simple as a new restaurant.

What is spiritual intimacy?

Spiritual intimacy is the alignment of your values, beliefs, and goals with your spouse in a meaningful and transcendent way. Spiritual intimacy can boost your marital happiness by providing you with a sense of purpose, direction, and gratitude.

How we come to our spiritual walk is going to be different for each of us but what is most important for our marriage is that we try to make that walk together, while supporting each other’s own individual path.

It’s being open to the differences in our opinions or even beliefs.

How to increase intimacy with your spouse infographic image

How do you build up the intimacy in your marriage?

It can make you happier, healthier, and more satisfied with your relationship.

However, intimacy is not something that happens automatically or stays constant over time.

But it requires intentional effort, communication, and commitment from both partners.

If you want to increase the intimacy in your marriage, just remember the 6 Be’s:

  • Be attentive to your spouse’s needs and preferences. Pay attention to their verbal and non-verbal cues, ask open-ended questions, listen actively, and show interest in what they say. 
  • Be expressive of your own needs and preferences. Share your feelings, thoughts, and desires with your spouse in a honest and respectful way. Avoid criticism, blame, or defensiveness. 
  • Be affectionate with your spouse. Showing physical affection regularly, such as holding hands, kissing, hugging, or cuddling will boost your sexual compatibility. So initiate or respond to sexual advances enthusiastically and sensitively. 
  • Be adventurous with your spouse. Try new things together, such as hobbies, sports, travel, or entertainment. Challenge yourselves to learn something new or overcome a fear. 
  • Be appreciative of your spouse. Express gratitude for their presence, actions, or qualities. Compliment them on their appearance, skills, or achievements. 
  • Be aligned with your spouse. Discuss your values, beliefs, and goals with your spouse. Support them in their pursuits and aspirations. Pray or meditate together if you share a faith. 

Increase your intimacy and boost your marriage happiness

Intimacy is a key ingredient for a happy and healthy marriage.

By being attentive, expressive, affectionate, adventurous, appreciative, and aligned with your spouse, you can cultivate intimacy in different dimensions and enjoy its benefits for your happiness and relationship quality.

Remember that intimacy is not a destination but a journey that you embark on together with your spouse every day. 

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