It’s easy to fall in love. Just look at statistics from any Dating Reviewer, and you’ll realize that many people fall in love every day. Staying in love, however, is another puzzle. If divorce statistics tell us anything, most people do not know how to jump into a healthy relationship.
But this is nothing to worry about because building a healthy relationship is a learning process like most things in life. If you finally feel it’s time to be in a more meaningful relationship, this is what you should do.
But first, let’s understand what we mean when we call a healthy relationship healthy.
Defining A Healthy Relationship
Listing down the characteristics of an unhealthy relationship is not difficult. The challenge is, most people don’t know any healthy relationship qualities. For instance, if you felt abused, mentally, emotionally, or physically in a relationship, you can identify it as unhealthy.
But healthy relationship ideas stem from the fact that the two people are equal partners, which is uncommon. So, what really is a healthy relationship?
A healthy relationship is one where you feel free to be yourself; no questions are asked: expect to experience positive criticism. You know you can trust your loved partner fully because they make you feel safe to be vulnerable.
When in a healthy relationship, you’ll never question whether your significant other respects you, cares for you, or loves you. Not because of some conceited notion that you are the best. Rather, you will have this assurance because your partner will make it known that you matter to them.
Please note that you are bound to face challenges and disagreements in every relationship. But an excellent indicator that you’re in a healthy relationship is how you handle these differences.
That said, these are the characteristics that you should be harnessing with your partner if you want to build a healthy relationship.
Let’s Start With Handling Arguments
We’ve already mentioned that you’ll experience differences once in a while when you are in a relationship. Therefore, as one of the best healthy relationship tips, never confront your partner when you are angry.
As a human being, you can say awful and hurtful things when mad. So take time to cool off, control your emotions, think about why you are upset, and then face your partner with a rational mood. Focus on the issue at hand: it is wrong for you to start mentioning issues that happened two months ago.
Don’t curse, criticize harshly, or use hyperbolic language. Your body language matters a lot as well. Crossing hands, for instance, is a sign that you are closed off mentally. To build your healthy relationship, it should always be you and your partner against the problem at hand.
Your Needs, Their Needs
The fundamentals of a healthy relationship are simple, you and your partner should have the same core value and beliefs. In any relationship, you will experience one of all of the following connections:
· Physical
· Mental
· Emotional
· Spiritual
· Financial
A healthy relationship has all five, but it takes time to build a deep and profound spiritual and emotional connection. This starts with understanding your needs and those of your partner. For example, you might find that your after-work activities are very different.
While you should allow your partner to continue doing the things that make them happy, you can start working on healthy relationship activities together. Invite your partner to join you in one of your activities and let them do the same.
Your Are Both Individuals
For the best healthy relationship advice, consider yourself a whole entity. It sounds cliché, but the problem with most relationships is codependency. If you are only with your partner for financial or physical fulfillment, your relationship will fade off eventually.
This is why codependent relationships only last for a period. On the other hand, a healthy relationship is about recognizing that both parties are individuals. The more you respect your partner’s aspects that make them who they are and vice versa, the more chances for you to have a long and healthy relationship.
Be Transparent, Not Merely Honest
One of the healthy relationship signs in a partnership is transparency. Yes, there is a difference between being honest and being transparent. Being honest means telling the truth. On the other hand, being transparent means sharing even when you are not required to be honest.
This doesn’t mean sharing every detail of your day-to-day life. It simply means being open instead of compartmentalizing. Nevertheless, you can only be transparent if you are connected to yourself.
Conclusion
Building a healthy relationship is not a walk in the park. Nevertheless, these healthy relationship examples should go a long way in helping you decipher how to build one. The secret of being in a healthy relationship is understanding that you should accept your love interest as they are.
Sure, call them out when they wrong you or others, offer them positive criticism, but above all, love, support, and accept your person just as they are. So, do you think your relationship is healthy? If so, share your experience with us in the comments below.
