Keeping Intimacy Alive

Keeping Intimacy Alive

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January 24, 2025•5 min read

When life’s toughest challenges arise, intimacy often takes a backseat. Demanding schedules, emotional strain, and external pressures can all chip away at the connection that holds couples together.

Susan Bratton, an expert in intimacy and relationships, offers actionable insights to help couples nurture their bond during difficult times. By focusing on small, meaningful practices that foster closeness, reduce stress, and deepen emotional connection, she provides a roadmap for building a more fulfilling relationship.

The Connection Between Stress and Intimacy

Stress and intimacy are deeply interconnected, especially during the challenging journey to conceive. Elevated stress levels can disrupt arousal, create tension, and hinder connection, turning intimacy into a task rather than a source of comfort. This cycle of stress and disconnection amplifies feelings of frustration and isolation, making it harder for couples to maintain their emotional and physical bond.

At the same time, intimacy can actually help reduce stress when it is approached with care and attention. Simple acts like holding hands, kissing, or stroking hair can make partners feel comforted and close. When couples focus on connection instead of treating intimacy as a task, they can relax, feel more at ease, and strengthen their bond. Keeping intimacy enjoyable and meaningful is essential during challenging times.

Here are a few ways couples can reduce stress and keep their connection strong:

  • Make Relaxation a Priority: Set the mood for intimacy with soft lighting, calming music, or relaxing activities together.

  • Focus on Your Relationship: Enjoy spending time with each other without making everything about conception. This can help bring back the joy of being together.

  • Talk Openly: Share how you’re feeling about stress and intimacy. Honest conversations can help you understand each other better and build trust.

  • Explore Different Kinds of Intimacy: Spend time cuddling, kissing, or enjoying other forms of affection. These moments of connection can ease pressure and deepen your bond.

How Relaxation Helps Fertility and Intimacy

Relaxation plays a crucial role in enhancing both fertility and intimacy. When the body is relaxed, blood flow to the pelvic area increases, promoting better arousal, lubrication, and overall reproductive health. This natural process helps create an environment that supports conception and deeper emotional connection.

Taking the time to slow down and focus on connection helps couples move beyond transactional intimacy. By honoring the body’s natural responses, relaxation allows both partners to engage fully, fostering deeper intimacy and emotional bonding. This not only supports physical well-being but strengthens the emotional aspects of the relationship, creating a more meaningful and fulfilling experience.

Understanding Arousal and Intimacy

Understanding the differences between male and female arousal can enhance intimacy and foster a stronger emotional connection. Men experience fast-acting hemodynamics, where blood flows quickly into the penis to achieve an erection. While this provides a swift physical response, emotional connection, and foreplay play a crucial role in creating a more meaningful experience.


On the other hand, women need a slower, more gradual approach to arousal. Typically, it takes around 20 to 30 minutes for a woman’s body to become aroused fully. This process involves multiple areas of erectile tissue, such as the clitoris, urethral sponge, and perineal sponge, which require time to become responsive and fully engaged.


By recognizing these differences, couples can work together to create a more balanced and satisfying intimacy experience. Embracing relaxation, self-care, and intentional foreplay allows both partners to experience a deeper, more fulfilling connection.

Ways to Nurture Intimacy and Connection

Maintaining intimacy can be challenging, especially as life becomes busier and distractions increase. However, nurturing emotional and physical closeness is essential for a healthy and fulfilling relationship. Here are some simple yet effective tips to help couples stay connected and deepen their bond:

  1. Focus on Foreplay: Taking time for small, loving gestures like kissing, hugging, and gentle touches can enhance intimacy and create a deeper emotional connection.

  1. Try New Things: Exploring new activities or experiences together can reignite passion and excitement, whether it’s trying a new position, spending time outdoors, or simply doing something spontaneous.

  2. Use Yoni Massage: Yoni massage involves gently massaging the female genital area, helping to increase blood flow, relax the body, and improve arousal.

  3. Use Helpful Products:  Incorporating products like lubricants, arousal oils, or cocoa butter inserts can enhance comfort and make intimate moments more enjoyable. 

  4. Build Emotional Bonds: Intimacy goes beyond physical touch; it’s an emotional experience. Taking the time to communicate, share thoughts, and express feelings strengthens the connection and deepens trust between partners.

 

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Know the status of your fertility health. Take our FREE Fertility Quiz now:http://yourfertilityquiz.com/

Fulfill your dream of a family. Know your best options for a healthy pregnancy:https://www.healthyouniversity.co/programs

Boost Employee Productivity by Investing in their Fertility Health. Check out our Corporate Wellness program and know the benefits it can bring to your company:https://www.healthyouniversity.co/corporate-wellness 

 

Susan Bratton, the “Intimacy Expert to Millions”, is a passionate advocate for lifelong intimacy and sincere connection. As co-founder and CEO of Personal Life Media, Inc. and The 20 LLC, she empowers individuals with heart-connected lovemaking techniques, communication skills, and therapies to enhance intimacy and sexual vitality.

Resources:

Website: https://susanbratton.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanbratton/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanbratton/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/susanbratton 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trustedhotsexadvisortomillions/ 

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/BetterLover

 

 

Medical Disclaimer:

By listening to the Health Youniversity podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition for yourself or others. Consult your healthcare provider for any medical issues you may have. This entire disclaimer also pertains to any guests or contributors to any Health Youniversity podcast.

 

I am a women’s health expert with a specialty in working with women and couples navigating fertility challenges for more than 20 years. I look forward to helping you realize your dream of family. I’m also a mother, a sister, a friend. I live in beautiful Northern California, where the nature of Mt. Tamalpais, the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay are my backyard. Traditional Chinese Medicine discovered me in 1978, when I was struggling with digestive complaints that flummoxed medical doctors. It wasn’t until I received my first acupuncture treatment and herbal prescription that I connected my medical condition to grief over loss of a loved one; that the stress of holding in such huge emotions was literally tying me up in knots, and I was finally able to heal. Discovering the powerful links between the physical, the mental, the emotional, the spiritual, and the environmental shifted my understanding of health and wellness forever. For more than 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of learning and implementing Whole Systems Traditional Chinese Medicine to understand the root causes of health conditions and realize optimal health and well-being. I am a strong believer in the importance of health education, for knowledge is power when you have the tools for effective self care.

Dr. Susan Fox

I am a women’s health expert with a specialty in working with women and couples navigating fertility challenges for more than 20 years. I look forward to helping you realize your dream of family. I’m also a mother, a sister, a friend. I live in beautiful Northern California, where the nature of Mt. Tamalpais, the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay are my backyard. Traditional Chinese Medicine discovered me in 1978, when I was struggling with digestive complaints that flummoxed medical doctors. It wasn’t until I received my first acupuncture treatment and herbal prescription that I connected my medical condition to grief over loss of a loved one; that the stress of holding in such huge emotions was literally tying me up in knots, and I was finally able to heal. Discovering the powerful links between the physical, the mental, the emotional, the spiritual, and the environmental shifted my understanding of health and wellness forever. For more than 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of learning and implementing Whole Systems Traditional Chinese Medicine to understand the root causes of health conditions and realize optimal health and well-being. I am a strong believer in the importance of health education, for knowledge is power when you have the tools for effective self care.

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