Building and Maintaining an Emotionally Wealthy Marriage

If you were to ask a marriage counselor to enumerate the fundamental components of a successful marriage, they would rank “strong emotional intimacy between the couple” as the most important. Is that something that surprises you? Most people would assume that a happy marriage would have elements like satisfying sex, comfortable finances, and a low level of conflict. Of course, all of those things matter, but it is hard to mold those and other elements required for an emotionally rich marriage without a strong emotional bond. Let’s examine the process of forming an emotionally rich marriage.

How to build a marriage that is emotionally rich?

1. Show each other your presence.

Put simply, pay attention to what your partner is saying. Because there are so many other things vying for our attention—like our children’s needs, domestic chores, and of course our electronic devices—it is simple to only listen to your spouse to a certain extent. Do you frequently respond “um hum” in response to something your partner is sharing with you while also checking your phone for new messages? While you do the laundry, store the groceries, and arrange the table, does he accompany you about the home telling you about his day?

Do you recognize yourself there? All of these behaviors take away from your emotional capital. When you are speaking to each other, make a conscious effort to turn to face each other. Look him in the eyes. Pay close attention. Tell him if you do feel compelled to do a task before you can focus on him. “I have to make one call first, but I really want to hear about your day. Can we have a five-minute chat? I need to be totally “here” in order to hear you out.

2. Express gratitude

Your happiness depends on your relationship. Reminding them of this contributes to the development of emotional riches in your union. Give them a hug and let them know how much their gesture has made you happy when they do something kind for you, such as surprise you with a bouquet of flowers or arrange for a babysitter so you two can go out for a night on the town. One of the greatest things you can say to someone is, “I’m SO lucky you are my partner” (or receive).

3. Take a stroll down the past

Looking back on the early stages of your relationship is a terrific method to maintain your emotional riches. Recalling these wonderful memories—such as their first kiss, first date, or first time making love—allows couples to feel closer to one another once more.

4. Physical intimacy is important; don’t undervalue it.

It’s simple to neglect romantic relationships when one is busy taking care of children, a career, and other adult obligations. However, maintaining a strong emotional bond in your marriage depends on your physical cooperation. Instead than waiting for the urge to happen, encourage it in by sharing a bed. Try to go to bed together every night. Don’t fall into the pattern of one of you falling asleep in front of your preferred TV show while the other heads to the bedroom to wrap up that best-selling book. That is an absolute guarantee for a failed sexual relationship.

5. Love yourself

Before you can invest in your partner’s emotional richness, you must invest in your own emotional wealth. How are you able to accomplish that? by looking after your own needs. Consume a nutritious diet to feel good about the things you are feeding your body. Engage in some form of physical activity every day. Try not to use your automobile as much as possible. Is it possible to run some errands around town on foot? Would you rather use the stairs or the elevator? Spending money on a gym membership is unnecessary because there are a ton of free at-home exercise videos online. You are well positioned to add to the emotional wealth of your marriage when you are content with your physical and mental state of being.

6. Have honest and open communication

Everybody has emotional needs, and meeting your partner’s needs helps to enrich the emotional fabric of your relationship. The need to be acknowledged and heard, supported, taken into account, fostered, understood, accepted, involved, caressed, held, wanted, and forgiven when we have offended someone are a few examples.

7. Deal with disagreements in the partnership

Couples who avoid conflict undermine their abundance of emotional closeness instead of attempting to increase it. Couples frequently believe that if they don’t discuss their issues, they will go away. On the other hand, unresolved disagreement breeds mistrust beneath the surface and eventually causes estrangement. Your marriage will have more emotional wealth if you can learn how to resolve dispute in a positive way.

8. Show each other vulnerability

Telling your spouse when you’re feeling fearful, helpless, or overwhelmed is nothing to be ashamed of. Exposing this side of yourself to your partner and letting them reassure and uplift you is one of the quickest ways to increase your emotional richness. This is advantageous to you both and a cornerstone of developing emotional closeness in your union. Your relationship can become more intimate in many ways by sharing your sensitive side, including romantic, sexual, spiritual, psychological, and intellectual.

9. Discuss the reasons you two are in love.

Talking about your relationship is a very personal experience. More than any other kind of discourse, these exchanges strengthen your emotional bond. You are discussing your shared sense of connection rather than just having sex or being romantic. Emotional wealth growth that happens instantly!