This article explains how to maintain intimacy and sexual satisfaction for military couples during extended deployments, discussing various techniques such as communication, trust-building exercises, setting healthy boundaries, exploring new activities together, prioritizing one's physical needs, understanding the deployment process, finding support groups and resources, and embracing creative solutions.
Communication is essential for staying connected with your partner despite the distance. Discuss topics related to daily life, share feelings, emotions, thoughts, desires, and experiences. Establish rules for sharing personal information, set clear expectations, be open-minded and honest. Communicate regularly via phone calls, emails, messages, social media, video chats, letters, gifts, photos, videos. Trust-building exercises like creating shared rituals, doing tasks together, celebrating small achievements, making decisions, solving problems, practicing empathy, engaging in meaningful conversations, and establishing trust can also help build intimacy.
Setting healthy boundaries involves respecting each other's privacy, space, time, interests, opinions, desires, choices, and limits. Agree on what's okay, not okay, acceptable, unacceptable, private, public, confidential, or sensitive. Prioritize your physical needs by setting a schedule of when and where you want to have sex, discussing fantasies, experimenting with different positions, using erotic toys and games, trying new locations, and being adventurous. Understand the deployment process and adjust accordingly - plan ahead, establish routines, manage expectations, set realistic goals, prepare for stressors, seek medical attention, explore alternative forms of communication, learn self-care strategies, and practice self-love. Finding support groups and resources such as therapy, counseling, workshops, books, podcasts, online communities, and professional organizations can provide valuable insight and tools for navigating deployments. Lastly, embrace creative solutions like watching pornography, writing sexy stories, exploring kinks, roleplaying scenarios, having virtual dates, sending intimate photos/videos, wearing lingerie, and scheduling special occasions.
What psychological strategies help maintain intimacy and sexual satisfaction during prolonged operational deployments?
Research suggests that there are several psychological strategies that can help individuals and couples maintain intimacy and sexual satisfaction during prolonged operational deployments. These include communication, openness, trust building, flexibility, positive reinforcement, and healthy boundaries. Firstly, it is important for both partners to communicate regularly about their needs, desires, fears, and concerns related to intimacy and sex.