Pay attention to the people you love. When you spend quality time with them and are mindful about staying in the present moment, you can develop deep and meaningful connections.
Communication Leads to Community
Strive for healthy communication in your relationships! When you aim for healthy communication, you establish mutual respect and understanding, leading to stronger, more intimate connections with your loved ones.
Staying Vulnerable
Vulnerability allows for deeper connection and intimacy within our relationships. To develop a deeper bond with those we love, we must open ourselves up to vulnerability.
Unexpected Kindness
Small acts of kindness ripple through your families, communities, and world to lead to bigger changes.
Understanding Your Emotions
An important part of engaging in healthy communication is understanding and processing your emotions. When you are able to regulate your emotions, you can convey your thoughts and feelings calmly and clearly.
Caring for Your Family
Each family is unique and built differently. Family can be related to us or chosen, and we may find family in unexpected places. Regardless of what our family looks like or where we find our family, it is important to put care into our relationships. Take time to focus on your relationships and strengthen your family!
Set Aside Tech Free Time
Though we have focused on finding ways to connect with your partner through technology, it is also important to set aside technology-free time throughout the week. Talk to your partner to identify moments during your day or week to unplug and spend time together. This can also be a conversation you have while setting boundaries around technology within your relationship. When you make an effort to spend quality time with your partner without the presence of technology, you can increase intimacy and connection within your relationship. This time provides a space for you to check-in with one another and talk about any challenges you may be facing or any joys you’d like to share together. Ask each other about your needs or ways that you can best support one another during these moments! Some ideas of moments you can use to set aside technology free time include during dinner, before bed (if you’re living together), and during weekend events or getaways.
Common Interests & Quality Time
Technology can be a great avenue to discover common interests and spend quality time with your partner! When you use technology with the intention of sharing what you are engaging in with your partner, you develop an opportunity to learn more about one another and create shared memories. Using technology conjointly presents moments for intimacy through laughter, joy, sadness, and even physical touch (Campbell & Murray, 2015). Maybe you or your partner enjoy watching movies or funny videos, playing video games, reading online blogs, or connecting with friends and family through social media. Share these interests with your partner and encourage them to do the same with you! For example, you and your partner could find movies, TV shows, or video games that you enjoy watching/playing and discussing together. We encourage you to think of ways you can use technology to share things about yourself and create space for togetherness in your relationship!
References
Campbell, E. C., & Murray, C. E. (2015). Measuring the Impact of Technology on Couple Relationships: The Development of the Technology and Intimate Relationship Assessment. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 14, 254-256. DOI: 10.1080/15332691.2014.953657
Check-in On Your Partner
You can use technology to be intentional about checking-in with your partner during stressful moments or life challenges. It can be difficult to keep up with our own schedule along with staying up to date with your partner’s schedule, especially if you’re both extremely busy. However, with technology, you can set reminders on your phone to help you check-in on your partner when you know they have an important event, such as a big presentation at work or a job interview. You can give your partner the extra support they may need during these moments by sending them a text or giving them a call with kind and encouraging words before their big event!
Gratitude, Encouragement, & Love
A great way to use technology to build connection and strengthen your relationship is to send your partner text messages expressing gratitude, encouragement, and love! When you send kind and encouraging messages, you are showing your partner that you care about them deeply and think about them throughout the day. This promotes love and intimacy and demonstrates your support for one another! We encourage you to send your partner a text expressing love, encouragement, and/or gratitude at least once a week.