{"id":2893,"date":"2020-01-30T07:26:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-30T13:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.creativesolutionsonline.org\/?p=2893"},"modified":"2020-10-17T14:00:05","modified_gmt":"2020-10-17T19:00:05","slug":"love-language-touch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.creativesolutionsonline.org\/rebuild-csbh-sit\/love-language-touch\/","title":{"rendered":"Love Language: Physical Touch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Love<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As much as we might love a friend or a partner, if we have a different style of expressing it than our partner, a lot can be lost in translation. As Gary Chapman explores in his book “The 5 Love Languages” (which I summarized here<\/a><\/strong>), there are five different ways we express love, and prefer to receive affection in return. Today I will be discussing Physical Touch<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When our styles are different, we might be left feeling unloved or uncared for. To reduce how often this occurs, it\u2019s important to understand how each person communicates love and which style they thrive on in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

(If you are curious about what your Love Language is, check out the official website here<\/a> to take a quiz, learn more, listen to podcasts, and find a whole bunch of official resources.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will be writing a post about each style (Acts of Service<\/a>, Gifts<\/a>, Quality Time Together<\/a>, and Words of Affirmation<\/a><\/strong>), and this week’s is Physical Touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physical Touch <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This love language, in particular, has the potential to be a breeding ground for misunderstanding and trouble in a relationship. For long-term couples, intimacy can fall to the wayside after those initial honeymoon years pass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If physical affection is someone\u2019s love language, touch is an emotional expression\u2014it\u2019s how they know that they are cared for and appreciated, and while sex is a part of this, it isn\u2019t everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"couple<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The bedroom does matter, but what happens outside of it can be just as, or even more important. Remember, it’s an expression of love through touch. Playing with hair, a backrub, or a brush of the shoulders when someone walks past: these touches can often be primarily about giving. When they\u2019re done without leading anywhere more sexual, they make the receiver feel truly appreciated, cared for, and can create a feeling of security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This type of touch is done without expecting anything in return: they\u2019re touching them because they care, because they want to be close, and because they want them to feel appreciated and good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, this isn\u2019t a one-way street: physical touch should be a give and take with everyone\u2019s needs minded. Maybe sex is important, but this can make your partner feel like hugging them is a means to an end. Intimacy and sex are two kinds of touches, and this should always be remembered. If physical touch is your love language, it\u2019s important to communicate clearly what your touch means as everyone\u2019s different and every type of physical contact can say something unique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What If This Isn\u2019t Your Love Language?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not a highly physical person, you might feel uncomfortable or pressured if you know that this is what your partner needs in order to feel acknowledged and cared for. However, there are so many ways to communicate love physically:<\/p>\n\n\n\n