Practical Intimacy

15/11/2024

Jodie had the pleasure of joining Jordan D'nelle on her podcast recently to explore the transformative power of emotional intimacy in relationships. 💕 'Cause you know that's our jam!⁠
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In the episode, we dive into:⁠
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✨ What emotional intimacy really means⁠
✨ How to create safety and vulnerability with your partner⁠
✨ How to ask for more emotional intimacy with the people in your life⁠
✨ Why emotional connection is key to better s*x⁠
✨ Practical tips for navigating conflict and growing closer⁠
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Whether you’re single, dating, or in a long-term relationship, this episode is packed with insights to help you feel more seen, heard, and loved. 🥰⁠
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🎧 Listen now and start cultivating deeper connection in your relationships! Search for "Jodie Milton" on YouTube or your fave podcast platform to listen.

15/07/2024

I'm in the New York Times (again)! 🤩

Such an honor to have been interviewed to talk about my favorite books for helping people have better s*x.

There's 8 great titles here with something for everyone.

Come have a read 👉🏻 https://nyti.ms/4cW5Wmo

And be sure to check out some of the AH-mazing books on the list.

(Special thanks to Hope Reese for putting together such an important roundup)

~ Jodie

S*x educators, counselors and coaches recommend their favorites.

25/03/2024

✅️ If you want your relationship to last, THIS is what you need to focus on. ⁠
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Emotional intimacy is the single most important ingredient for a healthy, fulfilling relationship.⁠
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It helps to build friendship, trust, closeness AND it increases s*xual desire as well. (Despite all the BS out there saying that closeness kills passion). ⁠
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Emotional intimacy is a fundamental human need too - we need feel emotionally connected to others in order to thrive. Our brains are literally wired to connect. ⁠
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But despite being so important, emotional intimacy can be a hard thing to describe. ⁠
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Working out the right language around emotional intimacy can help you to ask for - and build - the type of connection you're looking for. ⁠
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Which of these resonates with you the most?⁠
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For us, the feeling of belonging that comes from emotional intimacy is 🥰🥰.⁠

22/03/2024

HAPPY HONEY-VERSARY!!! 🤩🥳🎉⁠
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5 years married yesterday. ⁠
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And 5 years since we left Australia for epic travel and adventures:⁠
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Thailand 🇹🇭⁠
United States 🇺🇸⁠
Belize 🇧🇿⁠
Mexico 🇲🇽⁠
Cuba 🇨🇺⁠
Columbia 🇨🇴⁠
Portugal 🇵🇹⁠
United Kingdom 🇬🇧⁠
Iceland 🇮🇸⁠
Italy 🇮🇹⁠
Switzerland 🇨🇭⁠
Croatia 🇭🇷⁠
Montenegro 🇲🇪⁠
Greece 🇬🇷⁠
Costa Rica 🇨🇷⁠
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EASILY the best 5 years of my life (global pandemics and brain parasites notwithstanding 😁)⁠
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Jodie Milton, we absolutely rock. Can't wait to keep doing this married life with you ❤️⁠⁠⁠⁠
1 📸 = can't believe its been 5 years since we did this...⁠
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2 📸 = accidentally getting a little boozy at wine tastings in the Douro valley on our last honey-versary⁠
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3 📸 = picture from our actual legal wedding day a week later. Jodie decided to wash her wedding dress in the sink iso we could wear our outfits a second time. Sums up this whole marriage adventure pretty well 😜

17/03/2024

This will make you feel really lonely in your relationship - and you might even be doing it right now. 😳

As a culture, we’re getting more and more disconnected. ‘Cause our devices are pulling us away from each other, and it's messing with our in-the-moment interactions. There’s even a term for it….

Phubbing: when you ignore someone in favor of looking at your phone (short for phone snubbing)

And research suggests that 46% of people experience this with their partner - and it hurts.📱💔

We actually think rates are much higher (especially if you include all those little micro moments where your attention is split, and it messes with the quality of your connection).

In some ways, our devices are the antithesis of quality connection. To create emotional intimacy with someone, you have to really give them your PRESENCE, and undivided attention. (How else will they know you really see them and hear them?)

So you might be spending lots of time with your partner, but if there are phones involved, it's more likely to feel like 'junk time' than 'quality time'.

Let this be your reminder to put down your devices and get present with each other - even if it's just 15min.

✨ Quality connection can happen in an instant - but you have to get intentional with it. ✨

What do you think - are our devices are making us lonelier?

06/03/2024

Passionate s*x gets to the core of what we crave in romantic relationships:

- 🥰 We want to feel loved and desired.
- 🤩 We want to feel attractive and chosen.
- 🔥🍆💦 And we want to see that desire reflected in our s*xual relationship.

But keeping that passion alive in the bedroom after years and years together? Sometimes it's a little tricky...

If the woefully unhelpful advice of 'wear lingerie' or 'spice things up' ain't cutting it for you, try these tips instead. 🔥

And if you want the deep dive, check out the whole 12 tip article over here 👉🏻 https://practicalintimacy.com/how-to-have-passionate-s*x/

05/03/2024

What’s something you love about your relationship or your partner? (Tag them for bonus celebration points 😍)
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29/02/2024

We HATE the idea that marriages are doomed to a slow decay of intimacy and connection. 😭

Culture says ‘it’s just the way it is’ - but it doesn’t have to be!

Keeping the spark takes work, but it doesn’t have to be hard. (no pun intended. 😉)

In fact, we’re kinda on a mission to help couples thrive by offering simple ways to build intimacy (both inside and outside of the bedroom).

Swipe for 3 tips to get you started

And if you want more, head over to the Practical Intimacy blog for 10 more practical ways to increase intimacy in your relationship 👉🏻 https://practicalintimacy.com/how-to-increase-intimacy-in-a-relationship/

27/02/2024

Admittedly, a lot of couples struggle to keep intimacy thriving over the long-term (both physical AND emotional). But keeping that spark for the long term can be easier than you might think.

Here's what can help...

✅ Making time for daily connection by building rituals into your day (we always make breakfast together and there's no work talk allowed while we eat!)

✅ Reminiscing and retelling your fave relationship memories whenever you can (this is a date night favourite for us)

❌ Ditching the unhelpful initiating patterns and finding out what works to smooth the way for pleasure, play and connection

✅ Exercising together as a way to hack what's known as 'misattribution of arousal'

If you want to what what this can look like (+ even more practical tips) we got you!

In this article we share our top 15 research-and-experience-backed tips for how to increase intimacy and build a deeper emotional and s*xual connection in your relationship.

Check the link in bio.

22/02/2024

How you respond to your partner’s good news has a HUGE impact on the level of intimacy in your marriage. ⁠
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👉🏻 Research shows that an active–constructive response is associated with greater relationship satisfaction and positive feelings, AND greater levels of s*xual satisfaction.⁠
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(Yep - how you respond to your partner can help or hinder your s*x life 🔥)⁠
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On the other hand, there're 3 types of response styles that actively hurt your relationship, and lead to lower levels of connection.⁠
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❌ Passive–constructive⁠
❌ Passive destructive⁠
❌ Active-destructive. ⁠
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So how do you nail the Active Constructive type?⁠
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✅ Be present, and give them your full attention.⁠
✅ Be enthusiastic.⁠
✅ Have a curiosity to learn more.⁠
✅ Use your partner’s success as a way to understand them better.⁠
✅ Ask questions to help them expand on the details, what they felt, and why it’s important to them.⁠
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Reference for all you fellow nerds out there 😍:⁠
Bosisio, Myriam & Rosen, Natalie & Dubé, Justin & Vaillancourt-Morel, Marie-Pier & Daspe, Marie-Ève & Bergeron, Sophie. (2022). Will you be happy for me? Associations between self-reported, perceived, and observed responses to positive events and s*xual well-being in cohabiting couples. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 39. 026540752210805. 10.1177/02654075221080581.

22/01/2024

Anyone else agree? 🔥😍

20/01/2024

The quality of your conversation is determined by the quality of your questions.

These 7 questions can help.

(And if you want to go even deeper, check out this article for even more conversation starters and 14 proven ways to deepen emotional intimacy: https://practicalintimacy.com/how-to-build-emotional-intimacy-relationship/ )