If you and your partner have been “staying at home” together these past few months, you may have come to a realization:

We have no shared hobbies.

So many couples are facing this, as the usual hustle-and-bustle has been paused. Gyms, restaurants, and movie theaters have been closed. Spas and salons have been closed. Spending time with friends has been put on hold.

You may have been looking at your partner trying to figure out what in the world you’re going to do together. This can be challenging for a number of reasons.

When was the last time you asked your partner how they were doing? I mean really took the time, distraction-free, to sit, look them in the eye, and asked.

My guess is - probably not recently enough.

This conversation should be happening daily. Every day, you and your partner should be sitting down for 15 to 20 minutes to check in with one another.

How are you feeling?

What’s your biggest stressor right now?

Is there anything I can do to help you with that?

This simple practice has a number of benefits, like:

• Increased emotional intimacy

• Feeling supported by your partner

• Knowing what’s really going on in your partner’s inner world

• Giving benefit of the doubt easily because you have a more accurate context for your partner’s words and actions

• Reduced stress

• Deposits in the emotional bank account

Showing up for this daily check-in is important all the time, but now, especially, with the increased stress and anxiety many of us are experiencing it’s even more crucial.

In this week’s episode, we’re talking about the importance of doing a daily check-in with your partner, exactly how to approach it, and strategies for troubleshooting the common challenges. If you haven’t been doing this practice and you’d like to learn more, be sure to check it out.