In any successful partnership, various factors play an important role in strengthening the emotional bond between the partners. A particularly important aspect is the concept of play and playfulness.
Content:
Esther Perel’s Reflection on Play and Playfulness
John Gottman’s Perspective on Gaming
Neurological studies on the importance of play
The Role of Neural Networks
Examples of play and playfulness according to Esther Perel
Examples of games and humor according to John Gottman
This is the approach of Liebling + Schatz
What is playful intimacy?
And then what is playful eroticism?
Are there any studies from brain research on the importance of play to strengthen people’s emotional closeness?
Are there any insights into the role of playful adventures in couple relationships, such as canyoning or obstacle running as a couple?
Do these play concepts or these playful adventures strengthen relationship resilience? Or what is this emotional bond?
And what happens when such a playful adventure turns into a negative experience?
What strategies should a couple use to emotionally process such negative experiences?
The renowned couples therapists Esther Perel and John Gottman have independently emphasized the importance of these concepts for the success of couple relationships. Neurological studies also highlight how play can strengthen the emotional bond in partnerships and how neural networks play a crucial role in this context.
Esther Perel's view of play and playfulness:
Esther Perel, a renowned couples therapist and author, emphasizes in her work the importance of play and playfulness for a lively and fulfilling partnership. She argues that playful exploration within a relationship strengthens intimacy and emotional contact between partners. Play allows partners to meet in new ways and interact with each other in a trusting way. This can make the relationship feel less predictable and more exciting.
John Gottman's perspective on gaming:
John Gottman, another respected couples therapist and researcher, has explored the role of play and humor within relationships in his work. He emphasizes that couples who play and laugh together are better able to manage conflict and build a strong emotional bond. Games and humorous interactions serve as a buffer against negative emotions and stress that can occur in any relationship.
Neurological studies on the importance of play:
Neurological research has shown that games and humorous interactions affect the brain in positive ways. During the game, neurotransmitters such as dopamine are released, which are associated with pleasure and reward. These reactions amplify positive emotions and promote feelings of attachment and closeness between partners.
The Role of Neural Networks:
Neural networks, which represent complex patterns in the brain, are closely linked to emotional experiences and social interactions. When couples play with each other and share humorous moments, these neural networks are amplified and strengthened. This leads to more effective communication and a deeper emotional understanding between partners. Through regular play and playfulness, these neural connections can be strengthened, contributing to a long-lasting and fulfilling partnership.
Overall, both Esther Perel and John Gottman emphasize the central importance of play and playfulness for successful couple relationships. These concepts not only promote intimacy and emotional contact between partners, but also positively influence the neural networks in the brain that ensure strong bonding and communication. By consciously incorporating playful interactions into their relationship, couples can lay the foundation for a fulfilling and long-lasting partnership.
Examples of play and playfulness according to Esther Perel:
- “New Discoveries”: Try new activities together, whether it’s cooking, dance classes, or an art project. This allows partners to move outside of their comfort zone and keep the relationship exciting.
- “Change of roles”: Seeing each other in unexpected roles, whether it’s through role-playing or telling stories from each other’s perspective. This fosters understanding and empathy.
- “Sensual Exploration”: Exploring the senses together, whether it’s through blind tastings, massages or exploring new touchpoints. This can increase intimacy and increase desire for each other.
Examples of games and humor according to John Gottman:
- “Joking teases”: Affectionately teasing each other and exchanging humorous remarks to create a positive atmosphere and improve communication.
- “Laughing at mishaps”: Laughing together about funny mishaps in everyday life to reduce stress and maintain lightness in the relationship.
- “Laughing together”: Watch funny movies or comedy shows together to share moments of shared laughter and encourage positive emotions.
These examples illustrate how play and playfulness can be integrated into couple relationships in various forms. The idea here is to make the relationship exciting, fresh, and joyful, while at the same time strengthening the bond. Esther Perel and John Gottman suggest that these playful interactions can lay the foundation for a successful partnership, as they promote intimacy, communication, and trust.
This is the approach of Liebling + Schatz:
“Let us play!” is what we call our appeals in blog posts, interviews and social media posts. In our practice work, we repeatedly give couples so-called “micro-adventures” when it is appropriate and fits into the therapeutic process. They are shared experiences beyond the comfort zone – no restaurant visits or wellness weekends, but small barefoot hikes, nocturnal nude baths in the lake or adult silliness such as walking backwards in the park. It’s about positively empowering experiences that appeal to the senses and sometimes even challenge them. It is about the invitation to sensuality and physicality in everyday life, about the invitation to a curious departure together. Which we also tell you about in our book “Highest Mating Season – Erotic for Parents in Everyday Chaos”, which we published a few years ago at Randomhouse. It is about the challenge, but above all about the great pleasure of creating space for each other as a couple. All the stories we tell in the book have been experienced by us ourselves or by couples of parents who are friends in the same way or very similarly.
What is playful intimacy?
- “Erotic Exploration”: Explore and discuss erotic fantasies together. This can increase sexual desire and lead to more open conversations about needs and wants.
- “Role-playing”: Putting yourself in imaginative roles to create sexual tension and excitement. This can intensify desire between partners.
- “Sensual Games”: Playfully experiment with touch together, be it through gentle stroking, massage or exploring new erogenous zones.
And what is playful eroticism?
- “Seductive flirting”: Teasing and flirting with each other to build sexual attraction and tension. Small gestures of seduction can loosen up everyday life.
- “Surprising intimacy”: Surprise your partner with unexpected but loving intimate gestures, whether it’s a sensual message, a romantic dinner, or a bubble bath together.
- “Intimate Games”: Include games with an erotic twist, whether it’s a sensual board game or a card game, to encourage playful intimacy.
These playful approaches to promoting sexual intimacy emphasize the importance of openness, communication, and playfulness in the partnership. By exploring shared fantasies, trying new activities, and pampering each other, couples can build a deep connection and keep sexual desire alive. The views of Esther Perel and John Gottman show that intimacy and sexuality play an important role in a relationship and can be experienced even more intensely through playful elements.
Did you know that playing in a relationship can lead to better communication, more trust, and increased intimacy? How well do you know your playful side as a couple? Take our quiz and discover new ways to strengthen your relationship!
Are there any studies from brain research on the importance of play to strengthen people's emotional closeness?
It is well known that brain research is showing increasing interest in exploring the relationship between play, social interaction, and emotional bonding. Some general concepts from brain research that might be relevant in terms of the importance of play and emotional closeness include:
- Release of neurotransmitters: Games and humorous interactions can stimulate the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, which are associated with reward and pleasure. These neurotransmitters amplify positive emotions and can strengthen the bond between people.
- Strengthening Neural Connections: Intense social interactions, including gaming, can help strengthen and form neural connections. This can help emotional bonds between people deepen.
- Emotional resonance: Playful and emotionally meaningful moments can lead to the activation of certain brain regions associated with emotions, empathy, and social bonding.
Are there any insights into the role of playful adventures in couple relationships, such as canyoning or obstacle running as a couple?
Yes, playful adventures can play a significant role in couple relationships and help strengthen the emotional bond. Such shared experiences, which are often outside the usual routine, can enrich the relationship in several ways:
- Growing together: Adventurous activities often require collaboration, communication, and mutual support. Overcoming challenges and achieving goals can boost self-confidence and help partners feel like a team.
- Creation of shared memories: Extraordinary experiences such as canyoning or obstacle courses create strong memories that both partners share. These memories can serve as the basis for conversations and positive emotions, even long after the adventure has taken place.
- Refresh your passion: Experiencing exciting and adrenaline-pumping activities together can rekindle the passion and desire in the relationship. The release of neurotransmitters such as adrenaline can amplify positive emotions and intensify the bond between partners.
- Change of perspective: By immersing themselves in unfamiliar experiences, partners can experience and see each other in new ways. This can help to look at the relationship from a fresh perspective and increase appreciation for each other.
- Stress reduction and co-management: Overcoming challenges during playful adventures can help reduce stress and boost confidence. Overcoming difficulties together can increase confidence in the partner’s abilities.
It is important that both partners are open to such adventures and that the activities are in line with the interests and abilities of both. The key is to create positive and enriching experiences together that strengthen the relationship and deepen the emotional bond between the partners.
Do these play concepts or these playful adventures strengthen relationship resilience? Or what is this emotional bond?
Relationship Resilience:
Relationship resilience refers to a partnership’s ability to deal with stress, conflict, and challenges and emerge stronger. Resilience in a relationship means that partners are able to adapt together, overcome difficulties, and strengthen their bond, rather than being alienated by the challenges.
Emotional Bond:
The emotional bond describes the deep connection and feelings of closeness, intimacy, and connectedness between partners. It’s about how strongly partners are connected to each other on an emotional level. A strong emotional bond provides a sense of security, trust, and support in the relationship.
Play Concepts and Playful Adventures:
The Play concepts of therapists like Esther Perel and John Gottman, along with playful adventures, can help strengthen both relationship resilience and the emotional bond:
- Relationship Resilience: The playful approaches and adventures encourage partners to take on challenges and overcome difficulties together. By having fun, laughing, and sharing intimacy together, they develop skills for better communication, conflict resolution, and collaboration. These shared positive experiences can serve as “buffers” that help relationships become more resilient to stressors.
- Emotional Bond: Playful interactions and adventures create special moments that deepen the emotional bond between partners. These experiences foster intimacy as partners encounter each other in new ways and share positive emotions together. The shared memories and shared emotions form a strong foundation for the emotional bond and strengthen the feeling of connection.
Overall, play concepts and playful adventures foster a dynamic, vibrant, and close-knit partnership that is better able to deal with challenges and maintain a deep emotional bond. They contribute to the development of relationship resilience by strengthening partners’ ability to grow together and manage change. At the same time, they strengthen the emotional bond by creating positive experiences that strengthen and enrich the partnership.
And what happens when such a playful adventure turns into a negative experience?
When a playful adventure turns into a negative experience, it can have various effects on the relationship. It’s important to realize that not every activity is right for every couple, and there are factors that should be considered to ensure the experience is positive and enriching.
Here are some possible effects of experiencing a playful adventure negatively:
- Breach of trust: If any discrepancies or injuries occur during the adventure, it could affect trust between partners. A misunderstanding or unexpected event could lead to negative feelings and affect the sense of security in the relationship.
- Communication: A negative outcome of an adventure could lead to communication problems. Partners may struggle to adequately express their feelings and thoughts, which could lead to frustration or misunderstanding.
- Alienation: If a playful adventure turns into a negative experience, it could lead to a temporary estrangement between the partners. Negative emotions could cause partners to temporarily withdraw from each other to deal with their feelings.
- Negative Memories: An unpleasant experience could leave negative memories of the activity and even the relationship itself in the long term. This could make affiliates hesitant to try similar activities in the future.
It is important to emphasize that the type of activity, individual preferences and communication between partners are crucial to ensure that a playful adventure remains a positive experience. Open communication about expectations, boundaries, and desires is crucial to ensure that both partners feel comfortable and safe. If an adventure ends in a negative experience, it is advisable to take time to talk about the experience, reflect and, if necessary, seek support from a couples therapist to minimize the negative impact on the relationship and work together to reconnect.
What strategies should a couple use to emotionally process such negative experiences?
Dealing with negative experiences, especially after a playful adventure, requires empathetic communication, empathy and the willingness of both partners to work together to cope with the situation. Here are some strategies a couple can use to emotionally process such negative experiences:
- Open Communication: Create a safe space to talk openly about your feelings, thoughts, and reactions to the negative experience. Share your feelings and points of view without blaming or criticizing the other.
- Active listening: Listen carefully to your partner without interrupting or reacting immediately. Show understanding and empathy for his or her perspective.
- Shared reflection: Take time to talk and reflect together on the events of the adventure. Identify what went wrong, what aspects were positive, and how you can better handle similar situations in the future.
- Assumption of responsibility: Both partners should take responsibility for their role in the negative experience without blaming each other. This can help minimize feelings of guilt and encourage constructive discussion.
- Joint solution finding: Work together on how similar situations can be better handled in the future. Consider together what measures can be taken to minimize conflicts and improve communication.
- Time for reconciliation: Give yourself time to process the negative emotions. Allow yourself and your partner space for individual reflection and emotional processing.
- Professional Help: If the negative experience has a deeper impact on the relationship, the support of a couples therapist can be helpful. A therapist can help you understand the situation, resolve conflicts, and work together to strengthen your relationship.
- Emphasis on the positive aspects: Emphasize the positive experiences you shared despite the negative event. Remember the highlights they shared and use them as a basis to look positively at your relationship again.
Coping with a negative experience requires patience, understanding, and a willingness to work together as a team. By communicating openly, taking responsibility, and looking for solutions together, you can help strengthen the emotional connection and turn the negative experience into an opportunity to grow and strengthen your relationship.
Did you know that playing in a relationship can lead to better communication, more trust, and increased intimacy? How well do you know your playful side as a couple? Take our quiz and discover new ways to strengthen your relationship!
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