20 Ways To Amp Up The Love In Your Relationship

• Show interest in what your partner says by pausing to make eye contact, drawing near to listen.
• Physically touch your partner before you get out of bed in the morning.
• Express nonsexual affection with hugs, touching, holding hands, embracing, and the like.
• Give a 20-second hug to your partner, at mutually agreed upon times, such as before leaving for work.
• Talk about a trait you appreciate about your partner when both of you are present with family.
• Send an “I’m thinking of you” message via email or text at least once during work hours.
• Say one thing you admire about your partner, when they are not present, to a family member(s).
• Give your partner a 5- or 10-second kiss at least once each day.
• Look warmly into your partner’s eyes for a few seconds before and after a kiss.
• Express something you appreciate about your partner, when they are not present, to a friend(s).
• Tenderly touch your partner before you turn to go to sleep.
• Say something you appreciate about the other when both of you are present with friends.
• Massage your partner’s feet and look warmly into their their eyes (take turns).
• Listen empathically when your partner vents without giving advice, and validate their feelings.
• Affirm your partner’s love-actions with statements as, “I love when you express your love by …"
• Tell your partner what you love about their physical appearance with a warm smile, eye contact and touch.
• Find humor in something that would normally be a frustration for you, and make one another laugh instead.
• Smile warmly at one another in key moments, locking eyes for 5 seconds.
• Ask positive momentum questions, ones that start with, “Isn’t it wonderful that … ?
• Express awe for something you love about life with enthusiasm with, “I love that … how about you?”

Hugs, eye contact and kisses grow new neurons, and connect them in healthy ways to other neurons. They will strengthen your relationship.

Studies show they also reduce stress, enhance the immune system, lower blood pressure, and in general affect positive feel-good changes to your mood. The release of hormones, such as oxytocin, endorphins, serotonin, and dopamime, among others, nourishes the cells of the body and makes partners feel-good in relation to one another. In couple relationships, more specifically, they strengthen the emotional connection, and, as they increase each partners sense safety in the relationship, they also amp up the desire of each partner to repeat more of the love-response behaviors.

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You can literally kiss, hug, and use your eyes and touch, to energize and amp up your love experience.