How to build a strong emotional connection with your spouse

Introduction

If you're in a relationship, you've probably heard the phrase, "relationships take work." But what does it really mean? It means your relationship won't thrive simply because you love each other and have good intentions. To build a strong bond with your partner, you need to work at it.

If you want to build an emotionally healthy relationship that can withstand life's challenges, here are some things that will help:

Love and respect each other.

First, let's define love and respect. Love is a feeling that you can't help having for someone else. It's when you think about them in your spare time and wants to be around them as much as possible.

Respect is a choice you make when considering how to treat someone else. It means considering their feelings before acting on your own desires, even if those actions are meant out of good intentions.

Whether or not you're in love with each other (or even like each other), it's crucial that both partners feel respected by the other person at all times—this means listening carefully when they talk instead of thinking about what your response will be or dismissing their point of view outright because it doesn't fit with yours; checking in regularly throughout the day just to see how things are going; making sure there aren't any big issues between them before heading out on an errand or vacation; being honest when something bothers or upsets one partner so they can work through any issues together rather than letting things build up over time until an argument ensues; respecting each others' opinions even if they don't agree with them personally (e.g., "I know this isn't really my thing but I'm going along because my spouse wants me too").

Say "thank you." A lot.

Saying "thank you" is a simple way to show appreciation, respect, and care. It's also an excellent way to strengthen your emotional connection with your spouse.

• Show appreciation by thanking them for what they do daily, like cooking dinner or taking care of the kids.
• Show respect by thanking them for their ideas and opinions on things you may not completely agree with (it's just as important that they feel heard as it is that you feel heard).
• Show caring by thanking them when they've done something special for you or made an effort to be kind despite how they felt—even if their efforts weren't always successful!

Break your routine.

Break your routine.

This is more than just saying, “let's go on a date night,” as much as we'd love to be able to do that every week. If you want your marriage to thrive and grow, both parties need to try new things—every once in a while. It doesn't have to be something major or expensive; all that matters is getting you out of your normal habits and routines so that you can see things from someone else's perspective (and vice versa). A good example of this could be trying out a new restaurant or going on an adventure together, like hiking or exploring nature trails outside the city limits where there are no cars around (or maybe even taking some time off work). You don't need money or anything fancy; all that matters is getting away from home base so that both sides of your brain can relax, recharge and reconnect with one another without any distractions around them

Spend quality time together.

Quality, not quantity. Quality time means spending time together, not just being in the same place at the same time. You could be watching TV, playing games, or even cooking meals for each other. Having fun together is important because it reminds you of why your spouse was attractive to you in the first place.

It's important to find out what activities your spouse likes and make sure those activities are part of your daily life together. Make sure that even when you're doing something on your own, like going to work or running errands, you make some small talk about how much fun it will be when you get home with your partner by helping them do an activity they enjoy doing as well (e.g., playing video games).

Commit to a daily check-in practice.

You both must commit to a daily check-in practice. This can be done by taking turns asking each other the following questions:

• How are you feeling?
• What did you do today?
• What is going on in your life right now?

Fight fair.

Fight fair. In other words, you both have the same opportunity to present your case and be heard. You don’t use dirty tricks or tactics that leave one person feeling helpless in the argument. Fight fair also means you don’t use insults or name-calling — even if it seems like the other person started it first.

Lead by example.

If you want your children to have a strong emotional connection with their spouse, show them what that looks like. The best way to do this is by being a good role model for them. If you respect each other and treat each other with kindness, they will be more likely to do the same when they grow up. You can also help your children develop healthy communication skills by encouraging them to talk things out when they’re upset or angry instead of acting out in negative ways (like lashing out at each other or taking it out on others).

Be an example of honesty and patience as well. This can be especially challenging if one spouse is prone to lying or being dishonest about things—but both spouses must stay honest about their feelings. Hence, there aren't any surprises when kids come into the picture!

Lastly: communicate clearly without judgmental language (your kids will pick up on this, too!). And no matter how difficult things are between you two right now—whether due to stress from work-life balance issues or financial problems—remain calm since children tend not only to learn from our words but also our facial expressions!

Know the difference between praise, affection, and appreciation.

The first step in building a strong emotional connection is understanding the difference between praise, affection, and appreciation. Praise is a statement of approval. It could be as simple as saying, "I like your new haircut," or "You did a good job on that project." Affection is the physical expression of love. It could be holding hands while walking down the street, hugging someone when they need it most, or gently rubbing their back when they're upset about something. Appreciation is a statement of gratitude—saying thank you for all someone has done for us or telling them how much we appreciate their presence in our lives.

Try to understand your partner's background and current situation.

• Understanding your partner's background and the current situation is a great way to help build an emotional connection with your spouse. This can also help you understand their feelings and perspectives better.

Relationships take more than loving feelings; they require commitment and hard work from both partners to be healthy and happy

Your relationship is not going to be perfect. It won't be easy, and it won't always feel good. Sometimes you'll feel like you're doing everything right and still get no appreciation from your partner—but other times, when things are going well, it's important that you maintain those good feelings by being kind and thanking each other for the little things.

Relationships take more than loving feelings; they require commitment and hard work from both partners to be healthy and happy. If one person isn't willing to put in the effort, then chances are that relationship won't last long (or at all). Couples must remember this as they make decisions about their relationship moving forward—especially if they have children together!

Conclusion

In the end, relationships take more than loving feelings; they require commitment and hard work from both partners to be healthy and happy. The good news is that you can do many things to make sure your relationship stays strong. One is getting the art of relationship ebook or physical book by Richard Martinez. We also talked about some of them here today, so hopefully, you have some ideas for what might work best for you!