7 Tips for Mindful Partnerships

Today’s discussion concludes a three part series exploring the nature of love: What’s Your Love Language, A Deeper Exploration into Love and 7 Mindful Tips for Mindful Partnerships. Love is a beautiful phenomenon — let’s explore the neurotransmitters involved in love and the psychology behind sex, love, attraction and obsession.

The Neurotransmitters

Dopamine: the neurotransmitter of reward and pleasure that is released during the initial stages of relationships when a relationship feels novel and exciting.

Oxytocin: the neurotransmitter that creates bond and attachment between you and your partner during physical intimacy.

Creating Long-Term Partnerships

(Source)

1. Utilize positive illusions to shape your perceptions to focus on what you do like instead of focusing on what you don’t like

2. Express empathy for your partner through hardships and challenges

3. Monitor your emotions so you’re not over reliant on your partner

4. Have sex with your partner to increase oxytocin, feelings of attachment and decrease stress

5. Do novel things together to increase dopamine and sustain feels of romantic love such as trying a new restaurant, challenging each other to learn something new, and adventuring outside

6. Stay in touch through simple moments like cuddling and holding hands to sustain deep attachment

7. Say several nice things every day to strengthen your relationship

In order to sustain love, we have to look to our brain. In order to establish healthy attachment behaviors in relationships, we need to activate the three main centers of “sex drive, feelings of romantic love, and feelings of deep attachment.” A daily gratitude and mindfulness practice can help create a healthy body-mind so that you can show up for yourself and your partner. The most important relationship we have is with ourselves. Focus on building yourself up first in order to strengthen your capacity to grow with another human. Schedule a private with me here, practice in-studio or learn with me for free on YouTube.

“We’re built to love” (Source).