You must have heard people say they have prospered vigorously in a relationship. On the contrary, you would have also seen some couples degrading and failing badly. Relationships aren’t effortless, trust me, and it’s not that easy to make it work. Before that, you need to know your relationship status, whether the graph is admirably augmenting or critical. In simpler terms, are you indulging in a healthy or unhealthy relationship?
What is a healthy relationship?
A healthy relationship is one in which both partners feel fulfilled and satisfied. Each partner should feel like they can openly communicate with each other without feeling judged or misunderstood. Both partners should also feel like they can rely on each other for support, both emotionally and physically. Lastly, each partner should feel like they can be themselves around the other without feeling like they need to put on a persona.
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Labeling any relationship as healthy or toxic is subjective. We all may have a different outlook and slightly varying parameters to learn about healthy or unhealthy relationships. Everyone manifests unusual things out of it, which keeps growing, evolving, and changing as time passes. This means my expectation of a relationship may change after some years down the line. Maybe we get into a much healthier zone, or we may end up frustrated and failing each other; YOU NEVER KNOW. Hence we need to know when we have to strike a balance and figure out when our relationship is going off-track.
In this blog, we’ll keep some general and the most common elements of a healthy and an unhealthy relationship, which will further assist you in your relationship matters. We don’t promise to mention every single characteristic. As I told you earlier, we are all different, and so are our expectations.
Signs of a healthy relationship
1. Respect is the bedrock
Respect is the foundation of any relationship. You cannot make a relationship work unless you share mutual respect. If you and your partner don’t cherish each other for who they are, the bond may be a long-term burden.
If you both appreciate each other for the non-identical personality you hold, distinctive thought patterns you possess, and diverged perceptions you swear by, I got to admit you are at a fantastic phase in your life.
2. Trust is the column.
Any relationship that stands on trust has fewer chances of failing. If you both had faced your harsh and pleasant times together, standing for each other, you would have already developed a sense of trust.
Following are some factors that may help you assess the trust levels in your relationship-
● You don’t fear being cheated, which means you don’t hold the suspicion that your partner is seeking another person in your absence.
● You feel safe and cozy in each other’s presence.
● You know your partner is not testing you to prove yourself worthy.
● You are confident about their temper, which means they’ll not physically abuse you in case you have some verbal clashes.
● Your partner isn’t letting the cat out of the bag [they are not revealing your confidential and intimate conversations to anyone, not even to someone closer to them]
If you see any of these events occurring to you just the way they are mentioned, you are in a healthy relationship. If not, you need to WATCH OUT!
3. You are honored as an individual.
“Two bodies, one soul; that’s how love goes.”
Generally, we seek support from each other in a relationship, but we must also bear in mind that we were born alone and will die alone. In layman’s terms, we have a separate identity; we have our dreams, goals, and ambitions, which we always seek to accomplish even if we are in a relationship.
A relationship is considered unhealthy when any partner intentionally or unintentionally builds or creates obstacles in their partner’s growth. Maybe they don’t want you to grow to a level they can never match, and this is when things take a toxic route that, if left unnoticed and unattended, possesses the potential to ruin you as an individual. Therefore, don’t let things turn this bad; look for solutions and ways to fix them in the initial stages.
If you and your partner celebrate each other’s success and good times, yours is healthy.
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4. Hearty conversations
Good unreserved communication with your partner is one of the crucial steps in making your bond strong and your life happening. Your relationship is healthy with your partner when you are comfortable sharing anything and everything with them. Be it conversations over – how was your day, decisions you are ambiguous about, things that you’ve been working upon these days, your stupidity, depressing phases, or accomplishments.
Discussing what you both expect from the relationship and what things you want your partner to consider and work upon will help you to connect more firmly with each other. Since sensible conversations are resolution-oriented, this will help you deal with disputes that may arise between you and your partner.
Mind it; one-way conversations will not lead to a healthy relationship, and it will demand efforts from both ends. If you feel your life mate isn’t showing interest in your conversations, is turning deaf ears, or is always boldly contrasting(verbally) whatever you say, this can be a warning sign.
5. Honesty is the key
Relationships stay stable and firm when honesty is prioritized and honored. At times it gets difficult to adhere to honesty, and we feel covering the truth is the only way to settle things peacefully, but this may cost you heavily in the future. Partners need to be faithful to each other, no matter the truth, which may have made things look messed up. Trust me; you’ll handle it more considerably than a petty lie.
If you think you both are an open book to each other, your relationship is probably a stronger one. Still, if you guys carry secrets and hide things from one another, this will lead to trust issues and hamper the purity and openness in your relationship, which may further be a pain in your neck.
6. Affection and physical intimacy
Everyone tends to seek affection and intimacy out of a relationship. Intimacy is not necessarily sexual intercourse. It may also include physical closeness (cuddles, hugs, kisses, etc.).
Every individual has different intimate needs. If you and your partner align with each other’s needs (not dumping yours simultaneously), you can take the relationship forward healthily. If your partner forces you to satiate their physical need when you don’t feel like getting into it, and they feel rejected when you refuse to cooperate, this can invite fights and problems in the long term. Therefore you need to discuss your boundaries openly.
A healthy relationship is one where both partners are considerate about each other’s sexual desires and openly and comfortably communicate what they want from each other. Remember, pressurizing the other to get into sexual intimacy will not make your bond work that effectively.
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7. Striking a balance is essential.
Any relationship will work perfectly well when both the individuals involved try to balance their bond equally. It can be when-
- Both of you are equally passionate about each other.
- Both contribute financially to make it work.
- Both cater to each other’s needs.
- Both value each other’s preferences, thoughts, and interests.
- No one is holding the flag of dominance.
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How to maintain a healthy relationship?
Maintaining a healthy relationship is key to a happy and fulfilling life. There are many different ways to maintain a healthy relationship, but the most important thing is to communicate and be honest with your partner. Other important things to remember are to show respect, be supportive, and be patient.
Making and keeping a relationship healthy can take effort. Here are some tips for a healthy relationship:
- Open communication is key in any relationship. This means being able to talk about both the good and the bad. It’s important to be able to discuss both the positive and negative aspects of the relationship openly. If you have any problems or concerns, talk to your partner about them. Don’t bottle them up inside. Work together to find a solution that works for both of you.
- Both partners should feel like they are being heard and that their opinions matter. It’s important to be able to compromise and to be respectful of each other’s opinions.
- There should be a balance of giving and taking in the relationship. Both partners should feel like they are contributing and that their needs are being met.
- It’s important to have alone time as well as time together. Everyone needs some time to themselves and it’s important to respect each other’s need for space.
- It’s important to be able to trust and be trustworthy. This means being honest with each other and being there for each other.
- Both partners should feel like they can express their feelings without fear of judgment. It’s important to feel like you can be yourself in the relationship.
- A healthy relationship should be supportive. This means being there for each other during the good and bad times.
Conclusion
These aspects will help analyze and understand your relationship’s health so that you can take the required steps to make it more happening. Committing to a relationship isn’t easy, and it comes with several hurdles, but remember, it’s totally upon you guys how you want to shape it (in a healthy or an unhealthy way).
If you’re in an unhealthy or toxic relationship, it’s important to seek help from a professional. They can help you assess the situation and figure out what steps you need to take to improve the health of your relationship.