Too Busy for Your Relationship??
By Dr. Robi Ludwig

Life can get pretty hectic living in this fast paced world we're in. Especially if you live in a busy, speedy place like New York City! Demanding work agendas, the kids, bills, an overloaded calendar schedule...can get us to feel like we're spinning in a zillion different directions. Feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and fragmented can start to feel like the status quo. When life gets busy, spending quality time with loved ones, and giving them the "right" kind of attention, can seem pretty impossible. Add your addictive black berry into the mix, those emails you have to respond to, the internet, as well as all of our other high-tech-gadget time eaters...spending special "one on one" time, with your sweetie, can look like an unrealistic fantasy at best, mostly seen in romantic movies or soap operas.

80% of married or romantic couples said they were not satisfied with the consistency or the quality of time spent with their significant others. So, what can we learn from this unfortunate statistic? So glad you asked! That we, on a whole, are not connecting enough with the people who matter most to us. It's really important we don't take our relationships for granted. Achieving a deep connection with someone is one of the greatest joys in life. Once the romantic heat cools off a bit, keeping things vital and interesting requires some time and a little bit of effort. So what's a busy person to do???

First of all, slow down! Focus on your partner. Here's the good news, it doesn't take a lot of time or money to be thoughtful, pay attention, be appreciative or carve out some time for one another. Prioritize your schedule, so you have time for your relationship. Let go of those time consuming tasks that are not so important. Spend an evening together a week. Spend some day time together. Do fun and pleasurable things with each other. Sharing fun and pleasure fosters a sense of intimacy. The anticipation of a planned evening or activity can be fun and exciting, especially if you've been together for a long time. Nurturing your relationship and enhancing it takes time. Being attentive to your partner translates as love. Resolve those annoying little conflicts quickly. Don't harp!! Be grateful to your partner for his or her strengths. Focus on what's good. This will help you to create an even stronger bond and help your partner to feel loved and appreciated. Remember, it's our intimate relationships that give us the greatest opportunity for personal growth and ultimate fulfillment. Partners want to feel loved, important and respected. They want to be treated with kindness and attention. Let's face it, we all want that. So, if you do the following, you'll be on your way to a very fulfilling relationship and rewarding life. Dr's orders!!