Communication is key in any relationship. This is especially true in your intimate and sexual relationships. We have some tips and tricks to improve your sexual communications and hopefully improve your sex life in the process.

• Set aside time to talk

You should make communication a priority in your relationship. Scheduling time to talk about your sexual wants and needs may seem impersonal, but it can set the tone for the importance of those wants and needs. It creates a safe space to talk openly and freely about sex and your intimate relationship. Pick a time where you will not feel rushed by the next activity. Give yourselves plenty of time to share your thoughts and feelings about your shared sex life. Make it a date night and end the talk with some sexual show and tell. It is time well spent.

• Advocate for yourself

Be open and honest about what you want and need out of your sex life and your partner. They cannot know what you do not tell them, after all. Take the guesswork out of sex and be upfront about your sexual needs and preferences. Do not feel self conscious or even self centered about telling all. Your partner can only know how to please you if you tell them. This kind of honesty will hopefully be returned by your partner who will open up about their own wants and needs in the bedroom. You may even uncover secret shared desires!

• Be a good listener

Actively listen to what your partner is telling you about their sexual needs and act on those needs. It will not only make you a better lover, but also strengthen your relationship by being there emotionally and sexually for your partner. Each partner is different and learning what works for them is an investment in your relationship and sexual satisfaction.

• Have a post game chat

Post sex is a great time to go over what worked and what did not in your sex session. It can not only help sex be better in the future, but improve understanding between you for each other's sexual needs. Plus, heaping on praise for what you loved helps each other's sexual self image.

• Set up hard limits and safe words

These things are not just for kink. Having a chat about your wants and your hard limits can make sex more enjoyable. Setting a safeguard is an exercise in trust between you and your partner. You do not have to get crazy. Setting up the "stoplight " system is enough. Green means go, yellow means slow it down, red means stop. Instituting this simple system can give you both sexual self confidence that what you are doing is working for both partners. Set up safeguards and use them correctly to set up and enforce those limits.

Communication is crucial for good sex and a great relationship. Practice makes perfect, so get together and open those lines of communication. The sooner the better to improve your sex life and your life as a couple.