The Six Second Kiss

How long do you share a kiss with your partner? You’ve probably never timed it before.  Try setting your phone’s stopwatch to six seconds. Does it feel longer than you thought? 

Quick kisses vs mindful kisses

Most kisses shared may be short and sweet. Perhaps you are running off to work, in the middle of cooking, or about to go to sleep. Lengthening kisses to six seconds could be a key to a better relationship. 

Dr. John Gottman says it’s long enough to make a moment of connection with our partner. It stops the busyness in your brain and puts your focus on your partner at that moment. Kissing can be a good exercise in mindfulness.

There are a lot of Gottman principles we recommend using on a daily basis with your partners. I think the six second kiss is the easiest. There doesn’t have to be talking, listening, or problem-solving. It’s just a time to connect with your partner physically and feel close to them. It also accomplishes a lot of principles and needs in our relationship in only six seconds.

What the six second kiss can do for you

Here are some things a six second kiss can do:

Final thought

The more you practice an elongated kiss, it can also become a habit. A six second kiss is one of the least time-consuming ways to improve things with your partner. In fact, if you have two kisses per day the total time per week amounts to less than 90 seconds.

So, keep kissing. It has the potential to benefit the overall health of your relationship. 

The six second kiss is just one way to get your relationship on the right track. Join The Gottman Institute for the upcoming Art & Science of Love virtual workshop. In this live two-day event, you and your partner will dive deep into intensive exercises and learn tools to help you repair after arguments and build trust. Sign up today!

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