May is very special month for me. It marks the 10-year anniversary since James and I had our first date! Even when you have the best partner (and James is the best!) relationships are not easy. I’m filled with advice as we’ve been through practically every obstacle in the past decade but there was one piece of advice a while back, which always stuck with me. It was about the importance of touch and how over time our skin to skin interactions decrease and the negative effects it has on us.

The article triggered two habits. One, I try to always have my hands around the back of James’ neck or on his arms when I kiss him. The other is totally strange – I nestle my foot around his ankle before we go to bed. I know it’s weird, and he thinks it’s so I make sure he doesn’t get away but in all actuality it’s to make sure we have enough skin contact in a day. We are an affectionate couple and I’m so grateful for that, especially after partnering with K-Y on their latest campaign.

K-Y recently partnered with world-renowned sex research institute, The Kinsey Institute, to create The Touch Initiative, a partnership devoted to exposing the power of touch in relationships. They commissioned a national survey to better understand how touch impacts couples’ connectivity and overall well-being and found:

• 87% of men and women in committed relationships rated touch as very or extremely important to building intimacy.
• Yet over a third (34%) of people say they’re not touched enough.
• Couples who touch more than once a day are 14% more satisfied with their relationship, compared to all couples