10 Signs Of A Healthy Relationship
Relationships Aren’t Easy – If They Were, Everyone Would Be In One
The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer. Finding someone you can spend the rest of your life with is hard. However, relationships are also remarkable. Each one is unique, and each one moves at a different pace. If you take any two couples in the same age range, they will most likely be in various stages of life.
Each relationship has its idea of what matters as well. For example, suppose marriage within three years is essential to you and your partner. In that case, chances are you will meet couples with vastly different timelines than yours because marriage may be more or less important to their relationship.
Here Are 10 Signs Of A Healthy Relationship
Regardless of the differences in relationship specifics – they all have two common truths – relationships take dedication and effort from both partners, and relationships are not always perfect.
If you are both putting in the work to strive for “near perfection” for your specific relationship, you will likely end up with a healthy relationship. It’s easy to buy into the fairytale ideology of “good relationships are easy,” but this is nonsense. Genuine relationships take work and dedication every day.
1: You Trust Each Other
Trust here is confidence and security in your partner and the relationship itself. You know you can depend on them to be there for you, be faithful to you, and uphold the boundaries set in the relationship.
This trust needs to be reciprocated for the relationship to be healthy. A foundation of trust creates space for comfort and intimacy, knowing you and your partner have each other’s best interests at heart.
2: You Respect Each Other
Respect and trust go hand-in-hand. You and your partner need mutual respect for the values and boundaries set for the relationship.
You have a healthy relationship if you and your partner feel respected and trust that this respect will not be taken advantage of maliciously.
3: You Act Like Teammates
Relationships are rarely 50/50, and that’s okay. What matters more for a healthy relationship is teamwork. Be willing to take turns carrying the team when your partner needs you to pick up some of the slack.
When you disagree, think of it as “you and your partner vs. the problem” instead of “you vs. your partner.” Doing things like this is the hallmark of a strong and healthy relationship.
4: You Feel Valued And Appreciated
Relationships are healthy when both partners feel loved and appreciated. You want to feel like your partner values you.
A stronger bond is formed when you both do things to show the other you understand them. This can be as simple as directly telling your partner you love and appreciate them, or you can take the extra step by showing appreciation in a way that considers their love language.
5: You Make Healthy Communication A Staple
This means spending quality time together uninterrupted to discuss what is going well in the relationship and what needs to be improved. This requires honesty, trust, vulnerability, and openness. You need to be able to confront your partner about your needs and expectations, and you need to be able to accept the needs and expectations your partner has.
A meaningful conversation about how each of you is doing is vital for the success of a relationship. If you prioritize consistent communication, that’s a good sign you’re in a healthy relationship.
6: You’re Allowed A Life Outside Of The Relationship
Yes, it would help if you wanted to spend lots of time with your partner. However, it would help if you also had a social life outside the relationship.
If you both are allowed to work, have career aspirations, friendships, and connections outside of each other, and support your partner’s connections, you have a healthy relationship.
7: You Can Be Your Whole Self
You’re in a healthy relationship if you can be as goofy, weird, awkward, or unconventional as you desire, and your partner does not try to stifle it.
Of course, it would help if you were with a partner that allows you to be your whole self. It would help if you never had to “tone it down” or pretend to be someone you aren’t to keep your partner happy.
8: You Can Have Tough Talks
Communication in a healthy relationship will not always be pretty. Conflict is inevitable in any relationship. Conflict on its own is not a kiss of death for your relationship. Instead, it is how you respond to conflict that better determines the success of your relationship.
Can you have hard conversations without shutting down or getting into screaming matches? Can you be honest with each other when you know your partner will not like what you have to say? Can you have tough talks and still feel secure in the relationship? If so, chances are your relationship is pretty healthy.
9: There Is Fun And Excitement
At the beginning of a relationship, fun is easy. But, once the connection has some miles on it, the fun begins to wane as life kicks in. So, have you been together for several years but still make time to surprise each other and do new things to keep some level of fun and excitement in the relationship?
If the answer is yes, your relationship is healthy. Staying connected over time is hard, so couples that put forth that extra effort are doing better than many that don’t make an effort.
10: You Both Feel Like Your Needs Are Being Met
This includes emotional and physical needs. If your partner works to make a note of your likes and dislikes, you’ve got a healthy relationship.
Even being willing to explore these needs with your partner curiously and openly paves the path for collaboration and building a healthy relationship that meets the needs of both partners.
How Do You Improve The Health Of A Relationship?
Monthly Check-ins: A simple monthly talk to see where you are at works wonders. Ask questions like, “What do you need me to do this month to meet your needs?” or “What can we do to be more supportive of each other?”
Put In The Work: Once you know what needs need to be met, consistently show up every day for each other to do the job.
Seek Help If Needed: Let’s say you do the steps, and nothing is working. Seek help from a therapist, counselor, or relationship coach to give you tools to work on the relationship. An extra pair of eyes helps you see patterns you didn’t before.
More About:Advice
Read This Next
