Speaking openly and freely with your significant other about sex isn’t always easy. In fact, it can be downright awkward. Getting to a level where you’re comfortable sexually with your partner may not happen overnight for a variety of reasons. Whether you’ve been together for a little while or a long while, you will inevitably be met with a variety of awkward challenges and uncomfortable positions that will make things less than sexy. But that’s ok. We can learn a lot from these experiences.

The most crucial part is you have someone you can laugh through it with. It can take some time to become entirely sexually open with someone. First, you need to build trust, have open discussions, and find both of your sweet spots, what you like to do and what you’re uncomfortable with. You and your partner must be sexually compatible and completely comfortable both outside and inside the bedroom. Here are five habits of couples in sexually satisfying relationships.

They make sex a priority.

Connection and intimacy are so vital and are the lifeblood of your relationship. We all are emotional, sexual beings that need love, attention and affection, and we have to be intentional about nurturing and working to enhance intimacy with our partners. Time is definitely a constraint, but the quality of those moments counts. As for sexual intimacy, lovemaking is naturally a variable, and people have different drives and desires. Be mindful that more sex doesn’t mean more intimacy, and intimacy is more than just sex. As a couple, you need to set out time for sex and also make intimacy and sex goals. It is crucial to think about the ways in which you would like to enhance your connection with sex and how to maximize pleasure and satisfaction for yourself and your partner. Include daily and weekly goals for kissing, hugging, affection and foreplay.

They understand the value of one-on-one time.

Couples in sexually satisfying relationships understand that great sex takes effort. You have to nurture your relationship inside and outside of the bedroom. While we’re all busy these days, our relationship and sex lives can’t survive on the scraps of our time and attention. People in sexually satisfying relationships prioritize quality time alone together. In this busy, chaotic world of daily activities, tasks, and schedules, it is easy to forget that the person you choose to spend your life with is the one who can make your days brighter and make the road ahead more accessible to travel. For most couples, the key to improving your relationship is to make it a priority to spend more time together and value that one-on-one time.

They’re comfortable talking about sex.

Couples who talk about sex have better sex. It actually turns out the most essential part of cultivating a healthy sex life is talking about a healthy sex life. When partners talk to each other about their sexual needs, their conversations are often indirect, vague and left unresolved. Typically, both partners are in a rush to finish the discussion, hoping their partner will understand their desires without saying much. The less direct you are about what you want, the less likely you are to get it. Talking about sex is a powerful way to deepen intimacy and connect. Partners who are comfortable with each other know the key to a sexually satisfying relationship is being comfortable and talking about it openly. They have no issue discussing things before, during and after.

They understand their partner’s turn-ons.

If you want to know what satisfies your partner and keep them satisfied, just ask them. Ask them what turns them off and what turns them on. If you think the man or woman that you’re with is not thoroughly satisfied, and him or her precisely what they want. Sexually satisfied couples are also willing to try new things together. Couples who are open sexually are also open to trying new things. At the beginning of your relationship, you may be a bit reserved, but once you trust each other fully, you’ll feel more inclined to experiment with both of your fantasies. As long as both parties are on the same page, of course.

They keep the sparks flying in everyday life.

Couples in sexually satisfying relationships are focused not only on keeping the sparks flying in the bedroom but also on keeping the sparks flying in their everyday lives. Anyone who has been in a long-term relationship knows that the spark can fade. This is perfectly normal. While it’s normal for the spark to dim, there are things you can do to keep the romance alive and active in your relationship. One of the most exciting parts before the start of a relationship, or toward the beginning, is the flirtation. Just because you become familiar with one another doesn’t mean you should let that die. Keep making cute, suggestive comments and sending flirty text messages.

If you love the person you’re with, you should want to keep making them feel special.

When you’re intimate with someone who you’re entirely comfortable with, the two of you have no problem pausing and laughing at all of the awkward curve balls sex can throw at you. That’s what really makes it fun, after all, and it can bring you two closer. Part of trusting someone is feeling ok with telling them what’s on your mind and what you’re into. If you want to try something new in the bedroom or have a fantasy you want to explore, you’ll have no problem telling a partner you’re totally comfortable with. And a partner you trust will be all ears. Couples in sexually satisfying relationships thrive because of their level of comfort and openness with each other.