Valentine’s day is quickly approaching and you may find yourself eagerly looking forward to it, or you may be silently dreading it. Finding the perfect Valentine’s Day gift can be stressful. Do you plan out your gifts or you a last minute shopper? Either way, I’ve got you covered. I’ve consulted with the team of relationship experts at Family Therapy Associates and we’ve compiled a list of meaningful Valentine’s Day gift ideas your girl will love. These gifts can even help you improve your relationship.
Can Valentine’s Day gifts really help my relationship?
This Valentine’s Day can be a great opportunity to shine and give the woman in your life the love and attention she deserves. Dr. Gottman, a pioneer in the field of marriage and family therapy, found that showing affection, appreciation, and admiration are important factors to building and maintaining an intimate relationship. These Valentine’s Day gift ideas are designed to help you do that:
Show fondness and admiration.
Showing fondness and admiration to your significant other brings positivity to the relationship. It adds a protective factor to your relationship by helping to create a strong foundation. You can more easily recover from conflict when you know how to make repairs in your relationship. Showing your partner fondness and admiration through positive feedback is one way to do that. In his book, The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work, Dr. Gottman proposes an exercise to improve fondness and admiration that is very similar to this personalized love book. Use this Valentine’s Day gift as a meaningful gesture to show your girl what you love about her.
Add some excitement.
Do you want to increase the quality of your relationship? Psychology Arthur Aron and colleagues found through their research that doing new or exciting activities increases the quality of a long term relationship. Why? Think about when you first started dating. Remember how everything felt new and exciting? That’s because it was. After awhile you do more and more things together and life doesn’t feel quite as exciting. This is normal but the healthiest relationships push outside their comfort zones to try new things together. Give this bucket list to plan activities, change your routine, have fun and record the experience for prosperity.
Express gratitude and appreciation.
Gratitude and appreciation make your relationship stronger and decrease the likelihood of conflict, resentment and disconnect.When you are expressing gratitude and appreciation, you are highlighting what your partner is doing well and encouraging them to do even more. Being grateful can also shift your thought process from one of negativity to a more positive outlook. A gratitude journal is an excellent idea to help your partner reconnect with what’s going well in their life and encourage more positivity.
Use your Valentine’s Day gift as an opportunity to reconnect.
Do you find with each passing Valentine’s Day your relationship feels more and more stagnant? Many couples experience disconnect in their relationship as time passes, as they change and as life changes. It’s important to find ways to stay connected and improve both your physical and emotional intimacy. It’s always a work in progress! The 201 relationship questions book can help you feel more connected by prompting fun and intimate discussions. Some of the discussion questions cover topics like what to never say to her, best ways to express your love, or how to make her feel more desirable and sexy. According to Dr. Gottman, knowing each other deeply enhances intimacy, which in turn will help you to overcome stressful life transitions.
There you have it. Want to take it up another notch? Add some chocolates and flowers to one of the gifts listed above and you’ll have the perfect gift! Still doesn’t feel like enough? Take your girl on a romantic date with an elegant picnic basket. It’s important to disconnect from the rest of the world and really focus on your partner. What better way to do that than by shutting of your phones and enjoying some good conversations outdoors?
No matter which Valentine’s Day gift idea you choose, or if you already have the perfect gift planned, remember it’s the thought that counts. Be thoughtful and intentional about your gift. Really take some time to choose something that will be meaningful to her.
What was the most unforgettable Valentine’s Day gift you ever gave or received?
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