Your lifestyle choices, good and bad, have a massive impact on your life in a multitude of different ways. In particular, we are going to focus on the impact that your lifestyle can have on your intimate relationships and your sexual health.
If things haven’t been great in the bedroom of late and you are feeling disconnected from yourself and/or your partner in a sexual capacity, give this article a read. We’ll share some positive lifestyle changes and how they can empower your intimate relationships – and indeed some negative lifestyle choices and why they may be holding you back.
Positive Lifestyle Choices to Consider for Improve Intimacy
Below we’ll look at some positive lifestyle choices that can help to improve your sexual health and promote intimacy in your relationship:
1. Prioritising Communication
- Encourage open and honest communication with your partner and discuss your needs, desires, and concerns.
- Regularly check in with one another to ensure both of you feel heard, understood, and supported.
2. Nurturing Emotional Connection
- Promote emotional intimacy by spending quality time together, engaging in shared activities you both enjoy, and expressing affection.
- Make an effort to demonstrate empathy, understanding, and appreciation for one another’s emotions and experiences.
3. Maintaining Personal Well-being
- You should take care of your physical and mental health through regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and adequate sleep.
- Prioritise self-care and stress management techniques to improve your overall well-being, which can positively impact your libido and ultimately bolster your sexual relationship. For example, investing in vibrators for solo pleasure can be an effective way to boost your self-confidence in the bedroom. That, and it may even give you the confidence to introduce sex toys into your relationship as well.
4. Continual Learning and Growth
- Embrace personal growth by regularly engaging in activities that challenge you intellectually, emotionally, and sexually.
- Read books, attend workshops, or explore new experiences together to foster a sense of adventure and keep that spark alive. This translates wonderfully into all other aspects of your life as well.
5. Supporting Each Other’s Goals
- Be sure to encourage and support each other’s personal and professional aspirations.
- Celebrate achievements together, and offer assistance during challenging times, thus fostering a strong sense of partnership. You are a team, after all!
Negative Lifestyle Choices that May Be Holding You Back
Now let’s look at some negative lifestyle choices that may be holding you back from actualising your true potential in your relationship:
1. Lack of Communication
- Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, unmet needs, and growing emotional distance.
- Address communication issues proactively, seeking professional help if necessary, to prevent the erosion of intimacy. Being open and honest in your personal relationships will teach you how to do the same in your professional relationships as well, thus empowering you to set boundaries and get the most out of life.
2. Neglecting Emotional Connection
- Ignoring your emotional needs can result in feelings of loneliness and disconnection. If you close yourself off from the world—and indeed your partner—you’ll never be able to get the love and attention you deserve.
- Prioritise quality time together, regularly show affection, and provide one another with emotional support to maintain a strong emotional bond.
3. Unhealthy Habits
- Unhealthy habits such as drinking alcohol excessively, abusing various substances, or having poor sleeping patterns can negatively impact your sexual relationship – not to mention the havoc it can wreak on your personal and professional life.
- If you are struggling, try to seek help to overcome any detrimental habits and establish healthier routines that can promote and improve your overall well-being. A healthy mind and body are crucial for a healthy sex life. Be kind to yourself!
4. Lack of Personal Growth
- Stagnation in personal growth can lead to boredom and dissatisfaction within a relationship. If you are failing to challenge yourself, personally and professionally, it will invariably have a negative impact on your relationship.
- Encourage each other to pursue individual interests, hobbies, and personal goals to foster growth and maintain a sense of vibrancy. If your partner doesn’t encourage you to grow, you may wish to consider finding someone who will be your personal cheerleader, as opposed to holding you back. In the same breath, you must be equally as dedicated to your partner’s personal growth as well.
5. Ignoring Relationship Issues
- Ignoring or avoiding relationship issues by burying your head in the sand can result in unresolved conflicts and mounting resentment. This will bubble away in your subconscious until erupting in an entirely avoidable argument.
- Address any and all problems openly when they arise. Bite-sized chunks are the best way to tackle these problems and talk openly about your feelings. Ignore them and you’ll be laying the foundation for a very unhealthy sexual relationship. If the only time you connect with your partner sexually is to “make up” after an explosive argument, you need to work on that.
- If you are both struggling to overcome your relationship issues together but won’t want to break up with one another, seek guidance from therapists or relationship counsellors to work through those challenges together.
The Takeaway
Remember, you and your partner are a team and the only way to enjoy a healthy relationship and sex life is for you both to work together. That means working through your own individual problems, focusing on personal growth, communicating openly about your desires, worries, and boundaries, and making positive lifestyle choices that promote your well-being (such as regularly exercising and drinking less alcohol).
We hope you’ve found this article handy and wish you well on your journey towards a happier, healthier intimate relationship with your loved one.