December Couples’ Tip – Stay Connected to Each Other this Holiday Season
The holiday season is a busy time for couples, and sometimes in all the bustle, we lose ourselves and each other. Set an intention with each other to take at moments throughout the day to slow down. Take just a minute each day, morning, and evening to look into each other's eyes. Before going to sleep, find a way to blend and synchronize your breath with each other. These two small acts help your nervous systems get in sync with each other. Kristen Manieri, in How to Stay Connected as a Couple Through the Holidays, explains it is the small everyday acts that keep us connected. She tells us:
“If you’d asked me last year how a couple can stay connected through the holidays, I would have suggested they schedule more date nights or make sure they meet on the couch twice a week to catch up. But now I realize it’s really about making myself more available and accessible in our day-to-day life instead of running myself ragged and becoming boorish and bitchy. By taking better care of myself, slowing down, tuning in, and getting grounded, the best version of myself emerges.
If the holidays become a tireless and harried flurry of getting stuff done, Marc is quickly (and brusquely) relegated to my sous chef and errand boy. But when I slow down and put things into perspective, I remember who he really is to me: my partner and the person I always dreamed of creating holiday memories with. Look, none of the holiday trappings mean anything if I’ve attained them by force and fury. Having a joyful, connected holiday season is absolutely possible. But if it is to be, it’s up to me.”
For the full blog, go to https://www.gottman.com/blog/how-to-stay-connected-as-a-couple-through-the-holidays/
