Intimacy is an essential part of any healthy relationship. It is the feeling of being close, connected, and understood by your partner. It involves being able to share your deepest thoughts and feelings with your partner and feeling accepted and loved for who you are. Achieving stronger intimacy in a relationship requires effort and communication from both partners. I should know since I've been there and done that only to finally arrive at my happy place. So now that I have the research, here are some tips for achieving stronger intimacy in your relationship:

1. Communicate openly and honestly: Communication is key to building intimacy. Share your thoughts, feelings, and needs with your partner and encourage them to do the same. Make an effort to really listen to and understand each other. One thing that LaTonya & I have going is honesty. We speak freely and we're transparent. And its liberating!
2. Be vulnerable: Allowing yourself to be vulnerable and open with your partner can be scary, but it is essential for building intimacy. This means sharing your fears, insecurities, and deepest desires with your partner. It also means being open to hearing your partner's vulnerabilities. LaTonya is the only one I feel comfortable with being vulnerable with.She sets an environment of trust and I melt right in.
3. Practice active listening: Active listening is a skill that involves fully focusing on what your partner is saying and showing them that you understand. This means making eye contact, nodding, and asking clarifying questions. Active listening helps to build trust and understanding between partners. I can't say I'm the best at the listening. I'm what you call AED (Attention Everywhere Disorder) lol. I will say however, that I'm getting better. I've identified the issue!
4. Spend quality time together: Intimacy is often built through shared experiences. Make an effort to spend quality time together doing things you both enjoy. This can be anything from going on a date to cuddling up and watching a movie. We're further on in our lives and love to vacation together; but of course that's costly. So get your money right so that you can live your best lives!

5. Touch each other: Physical touch is an important part of building intimacy. Hold hands, hug, cuddle, and give each other massages. These simple acts of physical affection can go a long way in building intimacy in a relationship. LaTonya and I are big on scalp and foot massages.

6. Be supportive and caring: Show your partner that you care about them by being there for them when they need support. This could mean offering a shoulder to cry on or simply being present when they need someone to talk to. How we do this is most effective when we love on each other's family.
7. Practice forgiveness: No one is perfect, and it is inevitable that there will be conflicts in any relationship. It is important to practice forgiveness and let go of grudges. Holding onto anger and resentment can damage intimacy in a relationship. This is also a big challenge for me. Its about putting the ego aside. And there are at least a half dozen letters I've never sent to bae that would've hurt or extended a particular argument. But I somehow forget about the moment when I package it in a note, and then we're eventually loving again. It's that whole "Ilove you, but sometimes I don't like you!" I'm sure bae feels that way as well. But in the end I'm happier in love then not. So as Usher sings, Here I Stand.

I hope this helped someone. Maybe by following these tips and making an effort to build intimacy in your relationship, you can strengthen your connection with your partner and have a healthier, more fulfilling relationship. And hey, you've gotta keep in mind that, even if you know this information, automatically executing the same may not be a reality, especially if tempers run hot. But with intention, these "keys" can work in yall's favor. LOL I've never written or said "yall's" so this commentary has turned historic!

As always, stay Relentless!