Mindfulness is about being fully present in the moment, without judgement or attachment to the past or future.
When applied to relationships, it can provide a powerful framework for building empathy towards each other, increasing understanding between you and increasing intimacy.
3 Benefits of using Mindfulness in Relationships
There are many benefits of incorporating mindfulness into your relationship. Here are what we think are the top three, together with some practical exercises and techniques to help you achieve them:
- Better communication: One simple exercise to build mindful communication is to try "reflective listening" where both of you take it in turns to speak whilst the other one actively listens without interrupting or thinking about a response until the other person has finished speaking.
- Less conflict: Try using the "breathing space" technique where you both take a moment to pause and take a breath before engaging in a difficult conversation. The brief pause encourages greater clarity and perspective, reducing the chance of one of you making a reactive comment in the heat of the moment that leads to conflict.
- Greater appreciation and gratitude: Take a few moments every day to think about what you appreciate about your partner and share them with each other.
By building mindfulness practices into your daily lives, you can grow deeper connections with each other, handle challenges more calmly and create a relationship grounded in love, understanding and authenticity.