Valentine’s Day is a special time of year to show your loved one how much you care. But it’s important to remember that relationships take work and effort to maintain. To ensure your relationship stays strong and healthy, it’s important to nurture it beyond Valentine’s Day. Here are 10 practices to help you do just that.
In this video by Letters From Esther Live provides five practices to nurture relationships beyond Valentine’s Day. These include expressing appreciation, taking time to be present, creating meaningful conversations, writing love letters, and making time for self-care. These practices can help couples to strengthen their relationship and build a deeper connection.
P.S. Esther Perel is a psychotherapist, author, and public speaker. She is the author of the books Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence, The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity, and The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity Companion Workbook. She has also written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, and TED Talks.
Elaborating on Esther’s 5 Practices
- Expressing Appreciation: Taking the time to express appreciation for the people in our lives is one of the most meaningful ways to show them how much they mean to us. Whether it’s a simple thank you or a more elaborate expression of gratitude, showing appreciation is a great way to strengthen relationships and make people feel valued.
- Taking Time to Be Present: In today’s busy world, it can be difficult to take the time to be present with our loved ones. But making an effort to be in the moment with them is one of the most important things we can do. Whether it’s simply being available for a conversation or engaging in an activity together, taking the time to be present is a great way to show our loved ones that we care.
- Creating Meaningful Conversations: Having meaningful conversations with our loved ones is one of the best ways to deepen our relationships. Taking the time to ask questions and really listen to their answers can help us understand each other better and build stronger connections.
- Writing Love Letters: Writing love letters is a timeless way to express our feelings for someone special. Taking the time to write a letter expressing our love and appreciation for them can be a powerful way to show them how much they mean to us.
- Making Time for Self-Care: Taking care of ourselves is essential for maintaining healthy relationships with others. Making time for self-care activities such as exercise, meditation, or reading can help us stay connected with ourselves and better able to connect with others.
As an accredited member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) who holds a Doctorate in Human Sexuality, I would like to add five more practises for your consideration:
- Plan a Surprise: This could be something as simple as a picnic in the park or a surprise date night. The important thing is to make sure it’s something that your partner will appreciate and enjoy. Planning a surprise will show your partner that you are thinking of them and that you care about their happiness.
- Share a Hobby: This could be something you both already enjoy, such as playing board games or going for hikes, or it could be something new that you both want to try together, such as painting or cooking. Sharing a hobby will help you both bond and create memories together, which is an important part of any relationship.
- Go on an Adventure: Take for instance exploring a nearby town or city, or it could be something more adventurous, such as going on a road trip or camping trip. Going on an adventure together will help you both create new memories and experiences, which can help strengthen your bond and deepen your connection.
- Learn Something New: It could be something related to a hobby that you both already enjoy, such as learning how to play an instrument or learning how to cook a new dish. Or it could be something completely different, such as taking a class on a new language or learning how to dance. Learning something new together will help you both grow and challenge yourselves, which can help strengthen your bond and deepen your connection.
- Show Gratitude: It could be expressing appreciation for the small things they do for you, such as making dinner or doing the laundry. Or it could be something more meaningful, such as expressing gratitude for the way they make you feel or for the ways they have supported you throughout your relationship. Showing gratitude will help both of you feel appreciated and valued, which can help strengthen your bond and deepen your connection.
Valentine’s Day is a great time to show your partner how much you love and appreciate them, but it’s important to remember that relationships require ongoing effort and care. By following these 10 practices, you can nurture your relationship and keep it strong and healthy all year round. With a little bit of effort, you can make sure that your relationship is one that will last for many years to come.
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