Love and relationship are perhaps the most binding things that happen between human beings. Keeping a healthy relationship and maintaining it is not as easy as it seems. The relationship is an equally lovable and demanding thing to keep it going. Both partners must put in the time and effort to maintain a healthy relationship based on mutual respect, trust, and open communication. There isn’t a power disparity here. Individuals can make their judgments without fear of vengeance or retaliation, making decisions together. Stalking or refusing to let go of the other partner is not tolerated whether or when a relationship ends.
This article shows the concrete foundations of a healthy relationship, its characteristics and amazing key ideas to maintain it.
Healthy Relationship Foundations
- You and your spouse can address each other’s needs to be comfortable with them.
- The ability to express one’s thoughts and feelings to allow the other person to feel secure, heard, and not judged is a critical component of effective communication in relationships.
- To build trust, couples must be able to rely on one another, which takes time and effort.
- In sexual activity, the term “consent” is usually used to indicate that you are comfortable with what is taking place and that no one is pressuring or guilting you into doing anything you do not want to. To reiterate, you don’t have to automatically grant consent in the future just because you’ve already agreed to something.
Explore the other areas on your left to see how these items work together. It’s important to remember that enforcing positive behaviours like healthy boundaries, open communication, and trust may put your safety in danger if you’re in an abusive relationship. Abuse is about gaining and maintaining power and control, and the person abusing you may be unwilling to relinquish that authority.
Boundaries
The act of drawing a line is analogous to setting limits. Those things that you are comfortable with are on one side, and those that you aren’t, aren’t ready for and make you uncomfortable are on the other. You must know where to draw your line because everyone will be somewhat different. Setting limits is an excellent approach to communicating your requirements to your partner and letting them know when something doesn’t feel right. You have the right to prioritise your needs over those of others, especially if meeting their wants causes you distress.
To be open and honest with your partner, you don’t have to compile a list of everything that makes you uncomfortable. You don’t need to explain yourself if your needs are different from your partner’s. To maintain a healthy relationship, you must engage in difficult discussions. Your trust in your relationship grows when they respect and listen to you.
Even after you’ve spoken with your partner, boundaries might still be breached, and here is where believing yourself comes in. If you’re feeling depressed or worried, you may not be able to put your finger on what’s going on inside of you. Always rely on your intuition. If something doesn’t feel right to you, it generally isn’t. Have an open discussion with your partner if they violated a line you didn’t know you had drawn.
You may be dealing with some form of abusive behaviour when a boundary has been breached despite making it clear. If your partner pressures you into doing something, begs you to do it, or threatens to split up with you, it’s a form of coercion that can be subtle.
Communication
Every relationship benefits from open and honest communication because it helps you express your true self and what you require from the people in your life. The better way to have a satisfying life is that misunderstandings, misunderstandings, and hurt feelings can result from poor communication. Here are some recommendations to help you open up to your partner.
Be selfless
Use the “I statement” to avoid the impression that you’re blaming or accusing the other person (“I feel that…”); if you don’t understand anything, say so. Don’t be afraid, to tell the truth, even if the other person doesn’t like it. When talking about a negative topic, include a good point to counterbalance it.
Avoid phone during a conversation
Make sure your phone is out of the way when the other person is speaking so you can entirely focus on what they are saying; wait for them to finish talking before you react; use acknowledging comments like “interesting” to let them know you’ve heard them; Keep an open line of communication and don’t leave them hanging when you don’t understand anything. Be prepared for the possibility of hearing something you don’t like, and give it some thought before replying.
Make eye contact
Make eye contact, face them, and offer them your complete attention while leaning in to hear what they have to say. Don’t have an essential chat over text or social media, such as Facebook or Twitter. Don’t get sidetracked by other activities or several discussions while chatting online; if you can’t react, tell the other person, so you don’t leave them hanging.
As for when and where to have an essential discussion, if you’ve recently fought, wait until you’ve calmed down before speaking, and discuss your worries before they turn into more significant issues. If you want to be honest about your emotions, have a private conversation.
Consent
An agreement between two persons, expressed in words or deeds that they are willing to participate in sexual behaviour is known as “consent.” Consent is not implied by a person’s inaction or lack thereof. Some people, such as intoxicated, asleep or unconscious, or have intellectual limitations, cannot provide their consent. Active communication and the understanding that one person has the right to withdraw consent are necessary components of consent.
keys for a Healthy Relationship
The ability to talk honestly is one of the essential characteristics of a healthy relationship. In a healthy relationship, partners should be able to express their emotions and understand one another. Is it hard for you to open up and express your feelings? You may need to build more trust with the other person. We may be suppressing our emotions because we’re fearful of the other person’s reaction or worried about being judged.
In a new relationship, we’re still figuring out how to talk to one another successfully. Communication can devolve into an unhealthy dynamic when one partner feels the urge to control the other’s thoughts or actions. Setting limits can be helpful in this case. In a healthy relationship, it’s essential to express your demands and identify your boundaries to avoid conflict.
Negotiating a Solution
Conflict and disagreements are to be expected in any partnership. In our relationships, it’s natural for us to have different interests, views, and values than our significant others. Relationship conflicts may indicate that something needs to change. Often, couples who avoid or minimise confrontation are more likely to experience rising tensions and unmet demands. More significant than the disagreement itself, though, are how couples deal with it.
Any kind of connection, whether with a friend, family member, or significant other, needs to work through disagreements respectfully and understanding. Someone’s perspective may not be the same as ours.
It may be time to reevaluate how you communicate with one another if disagreements erupt into arguments more frequently than not. To soften your language and communicate assertively, try employing “I” statements. A better alternative to saying, “you need to quit doing that”, is to say, “I would like you to cease doing that.” Free samples of “I” statements and active listening from Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution can be found here (SCCR).
When a disagreement becomes increasingly difficult to resolve, we may begin to fear arguing with our partners for fear of inciting their rage, abuse, or violence. When partners disagree, they may turn to make fun of the other person. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s time to seek help. OVA offers discreet support and services to help students who may be experiencing this type of behaviour.
Mutual Intimacy
Intimacy and connection can only occur in partnerships where both partners have agreed to respect and tolerate each other’s space. Healthy relationships are built on open communication and mutual respect’s emotional and physical needs. When it comes to sex, this involves discussing what you want, what you don’t want, and how it makes you feel. As a result, good partnerships necessitate constant communication and attention to this issue.
One or both couples may find intimacy more stressful than joyful if they are afraid their spouse will not listen or care about what they say. Abuse occurs when a partner’s needs and wants are disregarded or when they are forced into situations they do not want. To help students who may be experiencing these types of behaviours, OVA offers free and confidential support and resources.
Listening and Feeling Heard
It’s critical to have someone listen to our thoughts and ideas and to feel heard. When two people are in a healthy relationship, they are comfortable discussing problems, expressing their views, and listening to others. If you and your partner have difficulty talking, you must know that you’ve heard.
An unrecognised person’s sentiments and needs might harm a relationship. Both partners need to create room for the other for a relationship to work. Compromise and constant communication are essential to respect the sentiments, requirements, and values. Compromise isn’t always the best option.
In a relationship, it is abusive if one partner actively disrespects, ignores, or demeans the other When a partner acts in this manner, they may also show disrespect for the thoughts and feelings of their partner’s partner. Free and confidential support is available for students who may be experiencing these types of behaviours in their relationship with CU’s Office of Victim Assistance (OVA).
Characteristics of Healthy Relationships
For a relationship to be considered healthy, it must be based on communication, respect, and clear limits. It takes more than just having common interests and solid affection for one another for a relationship to be successful. It necessitates two people who are sincerely in love with each other and care about their well-being. To have a successful relationship, you need to have the following characteristics:
- In long-term relationships, we tend to lose touch with our partners’ feelings of love and affection. But a healthy partnership requires a lot of affection. What makes a good relationship great is this stuff.
- Touching, holding, or kissing your lover for no reason is an expression of love. You can express your affection for your partner in various ways, whether with a tender embrace, a kind touch, a kind word, or any other tiny gesture.
- Intimacy and personal space are valued. Your lover doesn’t have to stay by your side 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Those who remain in a relationship can appreciate and complement one other. Recognise and express gratitude for your partner’s efforts.
- They urge you to spend time with friends and participate in activities that you find enjoyable.
- Your ideas, words, deeds, and general demeanour convey gentleness. It’s accepting and loving your spouse and treating them with care and respect. It’s not yelling, calling each other names, or being emotionally or verbally abusive.
- When you’re with your lover, you’re at ease expressing your thoughts and worries.
- Healthy relationships have thoughtfulness as a feature, but it’s a quality that is often missed since it’s difficult to describe. It’s all about keeping your partner’s needs in mind and doing things that will improve their quality of life.
- Your partner doesn’t make you do something you don’t want to do because you’re afraid for your physical safety.
Yes, you must be devoted to your spouse. You must, however, be equally committed to the relationship as you are to your spouse. When you put the relationship’s health and future ahead of yourself, you’re more likely to take positive steps and alter your behaviour.
When there are disagreements or problems, you and your partner can compromise and work things out.
Conclusion
Both partners must put in the time and effort to maintain a healthy relationship based on mutual respect, trust, and open communication. An unequal playing field does not exist. Together, partners may make decisions without fear of punishment or revenge and appreciate each other’s independence. Relationships are built on mutual respect, compassion, and understanding. This means that you should also expect your partner to give of themselves to you. For men, they mustn’t be made to feel inferior by how they are treated. They relish the opportunity to be recognised and applauded for their accomplishments. In the end, kids just want to know that they’re loved and respected.
To put it another way, men and women have similar priorities. It’s a given that you’ll wake up in the same bed you fell asleep in. When you accomplish your job well, you should be paid for it. In relationships, it’s also acceptable to have expectations. These are reasonable expectations and the foundation of a healthy relationship: respect and honesty. When you genuinely adore someone and feel safe and content in their company, it may signify that a long-term relationship, such as marriage, is on the horizon. Sociologists studied the characteristics that men look for in a possible bride. Mutual attraction and love are among these preferences. You can also see this.
