Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but lockdown can make even the most affectionate couples sick of the sound of each other’s breathing. If you and your partner are feeling the disconnect, we have some tips to help you reconnect.

Give and Get Head

We mean FOREhead. With your foreheads touching, breathe seven deep, slow breaths in sync with your partner. You may need to tilt your heads down just a bit so your noses aren’t smushed together. The first couple of breaths may feel like you’re focused more on syncing your breath than actually connecting, but by the seventh breath, you will feel the natural sync happen. You do not have to stop at seven you can continue on but seven is the minimum to feel the connection.

Eye Contact

Body language speaks volumes, but eye contact screams to the soul. Face each other in a seated position with your knees close to touching and hold eye contact for 3-5 minutes. Yes, you are allowed to blink. Yes, it may feel slightly awkward for the first 1-2 minutes if you’ve never tried this before. And yes, you should avoid talking during the exercise. If you or your partner have an issue with silence, then put a soft slow song on in the background and spend the length of the song silently searching each other’s souls.

Up the Cuddle Time

You have been around each other nonstop for months, but did your physical contact stop? Science has proven humans need physical contact. Make a point out of spending at least 30 minutes a day cuddling or touching in some way. The easiest way to do this is to just incorporate it as part of your bedtime routine, but it is nice to sprinkle a little physical affection randomly throughout the day.

Remember, relationships thrive when you put effort into them. With things so stressful right now, you may need to put a little extra effort into each other.