5 KEY SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP.
Category: Health & Relationships
So we are one month down into the year already, a lot has happened within the first month of the year and hopefully, more will happen in the coming months. I hope the year has been as great for you, as it has been for me. January is usually one long month but this year it decided to be short or maybe we were too busy to notice that the month was going by already.
February is another amazing month especially because of what it represents. It’s a love month for many couples around the world and even singles. Keeping a relationship can be difficult and easy at the same time depending on who you are in a relationship with.
The definition of a healthy relationship can be different for various couples. Relationships that don’t align with more traditional definitions of a relationship can still be healthy. For example, people who practice polyamory or ethical non-monogamy might define a healthy relationship somewhat differently than people who practice monogamy.
However, there are some important signs to look out for in a healthy relationship irrespective of the one being practiced. These signs include but are not limited to:
Open Communication
Communication in a relationship can never be overemphasized. Partners in a healthy relationship are comfortable talking about anything happening in their lives, both the difficult situations and not too difficult ones. Lack of communication in any relationship can lead to conflicts and can create a negative perspective of your partner. A relationship can not work without communication. Your partner should be able to communicate their success, worries, and issues that come up. You can only know what is wrong with your partner when there is open communication.
Your partner should be able to communicate their struggles too; it could be issues like their physical, mental, or even financial health. Your partner must feel heard.
It’s very important that you don’t dismiss your partner’s feelings. Open communication will require that you make your partner feel comfortable about telling you anything. This way you can build an honest and open relationship.
Keeping Your Sense of Individuality
Another sign that a relationship is healthy is that you haven’t lost your sense of individuality at the expense of your relationship. This means that you have things that fulfill you outside your relationship.
In other words, you are not depending on the love of your partner to define your self-esteem or you don’t have to depend on them to meet your needs. You still have interests and other goals that you still pursue outside your relationship. It’s very important to keep a sense of individuality in your relationship, this way you are safe and not dependent on anyone.
There’s a balance to this, by the way, Yes you should build your self-esteem outside a relationship however love in any relationship is important and even pursuing goals together with your partners too is important. Make sure to find the balance.
Intimacy
First of all, Intimacy is not synonymous with sex even though sex is part of it. Intimacy is the level of closeness that you and your partner have. For any relationship to thrive, there’s to be genuine intimacy that goes beyond just having sex as even sex is a product of intimacy.
Genuine Intimacy will include building a very good connection with your partner, caring for each other’s lives, and feeling comfortable whenever you are with each other. No relationship can survive without these fundamental things. The intimacy that is exclusive to only sex and romance in a relationship most times don’t last long; the reason why you see a lot of broken relationships in today’s world. A healthy relationship also includes not pressuring your partner about sex(i.e respecting your partner’s sexual boundaries).
Trust
I know I have talked about open communication but trust is also key to a healthy relationship. Trusting your partner would involve you and your partner creating an atmosphere of honesty and integrity within the relationship. Trust goes beyond not keeping secrets or not being unsure of whatever your partner is doing somewhere else. Trust is also knowing that you have your partner’s best interest in mind as does your partner. Trust is also feeling safe either from physical or emotional harm in a relationship.
Teamwork
Lastly, every healthy relationship is the work of a team. You should be able to take your relationship as a teamwork thing. You have your partner’s back and your partner has yours too. Building a healthy relationship will require you to support each other even when you don’t agree on some things. You are not always going to be on the same page on everything, this is because you are two different individuals with different backgrounds and beliefs which makes decisions difficult sometimes.
The bottom line
A shared love for shawarma or fried rice and chicken might have helped you meet your partner, but these factors have little to do with keeping your relationship healthy over time.
At the end of the day, you should trust each other and feel safe together. You should believe in your ability to learn and grow together.
If you feel worried or unsafe in your relationship or some of the things mentioned in this post are not evident in your relationship you might need to rethink the relationship. Visiting a therapist can also help with clarity.
Did you enjoy this post, make sure to leave a comment in the comment section, and don’t forget to buy a health insurance plan for you and your partner this season from Healthstart.
