Relationship rituals help with co-regulation. When you are in an intimate relationship with someone, your nervous systems will attune with one another, either creating co-regulation or dysregulation. When connection is strong in the relationship, if one person is dysregulated, the other person’s nervous system will help regulate the distressed partner. So smart!
It is small things often that make all the difference in relationships. Research has shown that couples with young children often miss opportunities to connect emotionally; they deprioritise their personal needs in favour of the children and tend to drift apart.
This is where rituals of connection make all the difference. The challenge is to find many different ways every day to say, “you are important to me”.
Relationship rituals help with co-regulation because they build a framework of safety into the relationship. There are rituals you engage in as a couple that allow one another to feel the love present in the relationship. You make time for one another. Making time to connect in the small moments allows your partner to feel important and valuable.
What relationship rituals do you find helpful?
