02/19/2026
Can you spare 60 seconds a day for your relationship?
Dr. Jessica O’Reilly just completely reframed how I think about relationship maintenance. We’re so good at investing time and energy into everything else—our careers, our health, our kids—but our intimate relationships? We often wait until they’re on fire before we do anything.
Jess breaks it down: one minute a day doing something to make your partner feel special (not household logistics, actual thoughtfulness). Weekly check-ins to talk about what’s working and what’s not. Monthly date nights where you actually connect.
And here’s what hit me hardest: when it comes to cancer survivors and chronic illness, we can’t just jump straight to “what will s*x look like now?” We need to start with the s*xual values interview—talking about what s*x even means to you, the early messages you learned, whether you still value those beliefs. It removes the pressure and creates actual intimacy.
This conversation is for anyone navigating illness, supporting a partner through it, or wanting to invest in their relationship before crisis hits. Because the quality of our social ties is the fundamental driver of quality in our lives—not just emotionally, but physically and cardiovascularly too.
Full episode at link in bio 🎙️
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