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	<title>Better Relationships &#187; intimacy</title>
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	<link>https://www.better-relationships.com</link>
	<description>Marriage &#38; Couples Counseling, Psychotherapy, Premarital Counseling</description>
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		<title>Distortions in Your Body Image</title>
		<link>https://www.better-relationships.com/distortions-in-your-body-image/</link>
		<comments>https://www.better-relationships.com/distortions-in-your-body-image/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Jun 2019 00:08:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Swaniger]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anxiety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BODY IMAGE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DEPRESSION]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MEN'S ISSUES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RELATIONSHIPS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SEX]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[THERAPY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WOMEN'S ISSUES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[body image]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dieting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emotional eating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intimacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loneliness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weight loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.better-relationships.com/?p=4311</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“What disturbs people’s minds is not events, but their judgments on events.” – Epictetus In China, parents once bound the feet of their daughters in pursuit of beauty. In parts of Africa, both men and women elongate their earlobes and decorate their skin with minerals to look attractive, and this trend may be found in the United States now. At one time in this society, we found plump, rotund people to be the epitome of beauty. Old movies show us that the Tarzans and Supermen of past decades would hardly pass muster in today’s gyms. Today we define beauty as a thin, youthful, and muscular look. Today we go under the knife and on extreme diets to achieve a socially acceptable appearance – not to mention tattoos and body piercing – all practices that are similar to the early Chinese custom of binding feet. Although changes are taking place, strong social standards have dictated, especially through the media, how we should look – and if our own bodies deviate from these expectations, which is the case for almost all of us, we can feel inferior and ashamed. We hide. We cover up. We don’t like an important part of our selves. We feel depressed. We feel anxious in front of other people. We feel powerless – and we are apologetic when we show the world who we are. Body image refers to your personal relationship with your body. This includes all of the beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, feelings, and perceptions you have about your body. It does not refer to what your body actually looks like. Our body is one of many aspects of who we are, but for many of us it is the dominating source of our sense of self. If we compare ourselves to what we are supposed to look like, we come up short and this brings up negative feelings about who we are. We forget that our inner or essential self has many wonderful attributes. We do not have to harbor negative feelings about ourselves because our external appearance may not conform to current social norms. [&#8230;]]]></description>
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		<title>(6) Ways to Increase Intimacy and Escape the &#8216;Roommate&#8217; Syndrome</title>
		<link>https://www.better-relationships.com/6-ways-to-increase-intimacy-and-escape-the-roommate-syndrome/</link>
		<comments>https://www.better-relationships.com/6-ways-to-increase-intimacy-and-escape-the-roommate-syndrome/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jul 2018 21:23:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Swaniger]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[COMMITMENT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COMMUNICATION]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CONFLICT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MARRIAGE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MEN'S ISSUES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RELATIONSHIPS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SEX]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WOMEN'S ISSUES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[communication]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[finding happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intimacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.better-relationships.com/?p=4148</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you felt like you and your partner are more like roommates than intimate companions? Watching Netflix in your sweatpants while your partner plays a game on their cell phone sounds like a hot date, right? Not exactly. There is not a lot about that scenario radiating romance. What it does portray is a mutual level of extreme comfort you and your partner have embraced. Of course, nothing is wrong with feeling comfortable around your partner. Actually, you want to be comfortable with each other. But you also want to nurture the intimate connection you have and acting like roommates simply doesn’t do that. If you feel stuck in the ‘roommate rut’, try these suggestions: 1. Get in the Right Frame of Mind The roommate rut starts in your mind. To dig your way out of the rut, you first have to change the way you think about your relationship. To begin, stop thinking you’ve “arrived” in your relationship. No relationship ever arrives. But it can grow and move in new and exciting directions. There are always more adventures to be had and plenty more chapters to be written. Adopt a mindset that forces you to think of your partner differently. For instance, explore and learn more about them on a deeper level – their dreams, personal goals and struggles, fantasies, and wishes. And really listen to what they say.  One way to make your partner feel like they matter to you is to occasionally repeat back what you heard them saying to make sure you understood them. 2. Connect When You&#8217;re Apart Keeping a relationship healthy includes maintaining the connection while things are good between you and when they&#8217;re not. So, make a point to reach out to your partner during the course of the day. Instead of text messaging, it&#8217;s better to call if you can. A ten second phone call and hearing the sound of each other’s voice is sometimes all that it takes for partners feel cared about, even they&#8217;re fighting. If they can&#8217;t answer leave a message that you were thinking of them. Either way, [&#8230;]]]></description>
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		<title>An Emotional Affair – What It Is and What It Isn’t</title>
		<link>https://www.better-relationships.com/an-emotional-affair-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt/</link>
		<comments>https://www.better-relationships.com/an-emotional-affair-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Apr 2018 04:45:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Swaniger]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[COMMITMENT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COUPLES THERAPY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[INFIDELITY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MARRIAGE COUNSELING]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RELATIONSHIPS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SEX]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cheating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emotional affair]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[infidelity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intimacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.better-relationships.com/?p=4007</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You may have heard the term “emotional affair.” Do you understand what it really means? Is it really &#8216;cheating&#8217;? Consider the following: What Is an Emotional Affair? An emotional affair can start off innocently but quickly develop into something more. How so? For instance, imagine that you are in a relationship. You feel satisfied with your partner and vice versa. Then someone new enters your life, or an existing relationship becomes more meaningful to you. For example, you begin to confide in a co-worker about your personal life; about your thoughts and feelings about your life. Soon you begin to look forward to seeing them at the office. You realize that you “click” with this person. You feel open and vulnerable, connected to them in a way that you haven’t felt before, or lately. But instead of talking about these things with your partner, you talk about it with this new person. Even worse, you don’t tell your partner what’s going on. You’ve slowly slipped into an emotional affair. How Is Talking Considered an Affair? Talking with another friend or co-worker is obviously not an emotional affair. It is the level of intimacy involved with the conversation along with the emotions that can make it so. After all, you could easily talk to a friend about a personal topic without having this type of emotional reaction. In fact, you most likely would have already had the same discussion with your partner. But once you begin to have an emotional reaction, like looking forward to seeing the other person, you are no longer simply having a private conversation. Once your feelings are involved, your conversations take on a degree intimacy. And if the other person begins to feel and behave as you do, an emotional bond has formed. When this bond comes into conflict with the bond you’re supposed to have your partner and you keep it a secret, you are having an emotional affair. But I Thought Affairs Were Strictly Sexual! Yes, it’s true that many affairs are sexually-based. However, remember that many who participate in an emotional affair do so [&#8230;]]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>When Partners’ Sex Drives Differ – 7 Coping Tips</title>
		<link>https://www.better-relationships.com/when-partners-sex-drives-differ-7-coping-tips/</link>
		<comments>https://www.better-relationships.com/when-partners-sex-drives-differ-7-coping-tips/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Apr 2018 00:12:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Swaniger]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ARGUMENTS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COMMUNICATION]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CONFLICT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COUNSELING]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[INFIDELITY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MARRIAGE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MARRIAGE COUNSELING]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MEN'S ISSUES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RELATIONSHIP THERAPY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SEX]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WOMEN'S ISSUES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[different sex drives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intimacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[making love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex drive]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.better-relationships.com/?p=3997</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sex and sexual desire is a key part of many relationships. It provides a certain aspect of intimacy. So, what happens when your partner’s sex drive differs from yours? First, this doesn&#8217;t have to be an obstacle. Consider these tips to help you cope with this difference and still maintaining a healthy relationship. Tip #1: Communicate Expectations to Your Partner Communication is important for so many facets of a relationship. This includes intimacy. Have honest conversations with each other about your expectations in the bedroom. And don’t just make it a one-time discussion. Revisit the issue frequently to make sure you both remain on the same page. Hopefully, you had some of these discussions when you first started seeing each other. However, expectations can change over time. So it’s important to maintain an open dialogue. Tip #2: Listen to Each Other’s Perspectives Another important tip is to actively listen to each other. Keep an open mind and hold back from making prejudgments. For instance, if you want to have more sex than your partner does, listen to their point of view. (You can make sure you heard them correctly by repeating back what you heard.) As with many aspects of a relationship, when couples actively listen, they have a better understanding of each other. This means that they can still respect one another while holding different points of view. Tip #3: Refocus on the Relationship Although what happens in the bedroom is important, it’s not all that’s important in a relationship. If the relationship isn’t healthy, then your sexual experience won’t be healthy either. As mentioned above, you can start by communicating and listening. However, it may be necessary to get help with this from a professional therapist. A therapist can advise you on all aspects of the relationship, including intimacy. Tip #4: Don’t Nag or Guilt-Trip Your Partner If you are the one who wants to have more sex, don’t nag or guilt-trip your partner. Trying to convince your partner to have sex just isn’t sexy. It should be something that both of you enjoy equally together. Otherwise, when [&#8230;]]]></description>
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