The welcome hug exercise for couples is a great way for you and your partner to get to calm after time apart. The reunion at the end of the day offers an important opportunity for reconnection. Here are the steps:

1. The partner who returns home announces his or her arrival: "Honey, I'm home!"
2. The partner who is already home drops what he or she is doing and makes a b-line for the arriving partner.
3. Now embrace. Belly to belly, folded into each other (see photo). Heads resting on shoulders or chest. No words are necessary.
4. Stay in the full hug until you feel the other partner relax. This hug could last up to 60 seconds or more. Stay with it even when it might feel awkward until calm is experienced. The kids, work, pets, or cooking can wait.

Notice how the evening goes after this exercise! A critical skill for a healthy relationship is to know how to get you and your partner to calm. This exercise is a great way to do so. When we are regulated, we listen better, empathize, connect, collaborate, and feel stronger as a couple!