 Chemistry can come in many different forms. It can be platonic or romantic. But today, we are talking about sexual chemistry. You might be surprised to hear that sexual chemistry doesn't only become relevant during sex, but exists in everything around the bedroom as well. But when it comes to that special alone time and things start to fall apart for you, that could be a sign that you and your partner lack sexual chemistry. This can happen to anyone. That's why today we're looking at how you can build your sexual chemistry and maintain it. Let's begin. Express all kinds of affection. In the intro, we hinted that sexual chemistry has a lot more to do with the build up to sex rather than the sex itself. Something that might be lacking in your relationship is physical affection. A research article by psychotherapist, Enique de Bro and colleagues, published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, found that both physical affection and sex are good for individuals while being. Sex is physical affection and opens us up to intimacy. It promotes closeness between partners. Most importantly, it makes us more physically comfortable with our significant other. It also makes us more comfortable with telling our partners what we like. Physical touch activities like back scratches or hugs are ways to increase physical intimacy without having sex. When it is time to have sex, you can continue to increase intimacy with foreplay. To maintain sexual chemistry, make sure that you're always affectionate with your partner to cultivate closeness. Avoid pornography. Pornography is a controversial topic among many couples. Some partners consider it cheating while others don't care if their partner watches it. But does watching pornography have any effects on your relationship? Well, a study by psychologist, Dolph Zillman, published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, found numerous negative effects caused by watching porn. These include dissatisfaction with your partner's affection and physical appearance, less sexual curiosity, and poor sexual performance. It trains your brain to never be satisfied, ultimately taking out all of the joy and intimacy from sex. To build and maintain your sexual chemistry, according to Dr. Zillman, you need to avoid porn as much as possible. Try to go a few weeks without it and look out for the benefits that come with it. Don't be scared to get creative. If your sexual chemistry is dipping, you can get creative with sex. Part of the fun is that it's cooperative. You and your partner get to do something exciting together and different each time. Or you can do the same thing every time and have just as much fun if that's what you prefer. According to a research article by sociologist and sexologist Osmo Kintula, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, having sex often and trying new things with your partner have been found to make things more pleasurable. Enjoyable sex doesn't necessarily mean you always have good sexual chemistry, but it can contribute to building sexual chemistry over time. For newer relationships, don't worry about trying new things and rather focus on the other points to get comfortable and to further build chemistry. Work on your relationship. A relationship is far more than sex. Even if the sex is fantastic, it may be better if the relationship is healthy and there are other things to look forward to. Ensuring that you and your partner speak each other's love languages, go on dates and know how to communicate can improve the quality of your sexual chemistry and the frequency of sex. Psychologist Lehman Nguyen explains in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy that sex is improved when sex isn't the focus. A healthy relationship usually equals better sex. For better sexual chemistry, get to know your partner in every way. Get excited about your partner. You don't necessarily need to be having sex often to maintain your sexual chemistry. Sexual chemistry is not entirely dependent on the intercourse itself, but rather on your attitude towards sex. You can maintain good sexual chemistry by being flirtatious and expressing your desire for one another through words and touch. We touched on many factors that can contribute to your excitement. Physical affection can help you look forward to physical intimacy. By avoiding porn, you can train your mind to get excited about sexual satisfaction from your partner rather than something virtual. Deciding to try something new in your sex life gives you something fresh to anticipate and a healthy relationship means that all of this excitement will lead to better sex more often. In the third point, we mentioned one of the best things about sex is that it's cooperative, whether you're spontaneous or you like to plan over the course of the day, letting each other know that you're excited can naturally fuel your sexual chemistry. If you're still worried about your sexual chemistry with your partner, know that it's not the end of the world. Building chemistry takes time. If you've been in a relationship for a while and you feel like you lack sexual chemistry, think about some changes you can make to spice things up. Just know, in every aspect of a relationship, you have to communicate. If you've been having less sex than usual, don't avoid the topic, but bear in mind that everyone's different and so are their needs. Be open about it and see what needs attention. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Leave a like if you're going to use these and subscribe to Psych2Go for more topics like this. Good luck and remember to have fun.