THESE types of intimacy are more important than physical intimacy in a relationship

You meet someone, fall in love and live happily ever after. It would have been great if real life was anything like a fairytale. Unfortunately, it’s not. There needs to be a strong connection to build a healthy and long-lasting relationship. Being intimate with someone is also important. A notion we often associate with physical closeness. But that’s not it. 

When you think of intimacy, you often think of physical intimacy. But there are other types of intimacy which are more important than this one. Intimacy is defined as the closeness between people in personal relationships. It is something that builds over time as a couple grows to care about each other. Connecting with someone calls upon a combination of five types of intimacy, and only one of them involves sexual relation. 

Here are four types of intimacy that are more important than physical intimacy in a relationship. 

Emotional Intimacy 

Emotional intimacy is about letting your guard down. It is what allows you to open up to your loved one about things you wouldn’t share with anyone else. Out of all the types of intimacy, building emotional intimacy takes the most time, communication and vulnerability. It is making a conscious choice to confide and trust your partner. 

Intellectual Intimacy 

Intellectual intimacy is not just “getting each other.” It is about knowing each other’s mind. You provide a map to your mind and try to understand how your partner’s mind works. It is that connection you felt when you spend the whole night talking, a conversation that made you feel secure. 

Experimental Intimacy 

Experimental intimacy is about sharing common goals, interests and hopes. You build experimental intimacy when you spend quality time together and build your relationship by getting closer over your common love for your favourite show, sport, game and more. 

Spiritual Intimacy 

Spirituality, in general, is the belief that there is a higher form of intelligence, something divine in nature. Spiritual intimacy is all about sharing common beliefs, values or the feeling that you were meant to be together.