Healthy relationships
Relationships are part of a person’s lifestyle and have an important role and meaning. Everyone wants to feel good and comfortable in a relationship. Healthy relationships contribute to boosting one’s self-esteem. One of the essential steps to having a healthy relationship is setting expectations for both parties and reaching an agreement on them. An important principle is the willingness of the parties to listen to each other and share their concerns. In such relationships, communication between the parties is based on trust and openness.
In a healthy relationship, you learn to respect and trust the important people in your life. Of course, you cannot avoid having disagreements. In such cases, you should keep calm, which will enable you to find a solution to the problem. Resolving differences helps strengthen the relationship.
Each person is special. There is no one specific way to build a healthy relationship, but there are a number of principles that should receive careful consideration:
- respect the other person’s individuality, accept your differences, and allow each other to be unique;
- provide an environment of open communication and mutual trust that will allow for discussion of concerns, expression of different opinions and mutual compromises;
- talk about each other’s feelings, demands and wishes;
- try to trust each other and be independent;
- take responsibility for one’s own self (the sense of responsibility plays a very important role in relationships; however, a person who does not prioritize their own feelings and needs, often places the responsibility for their own happiness on the shoulders of their partner);
- learn to recognize your own mistakes and accept them;
- assume proportional commitments;
- respect each other’s opinions, values and boundaries;
- resolve conflicts through reason, with bilateral agreement and in a peaceful way.
Unhealthy relationships can cause feelings of fear, anxiety, irritability, and exhaustion. They are distinguished by an unfair distribution of balance. You may notice that you are the one who invests in the relationship and pays more attention to the other person, or you may feel overwhelmed because you have obligations that burden or pressure you.
In a healthy relationship, you feel safe and can trust the other person with your secrets, you have a great desire to spend time with them. Trust and respect are very important in a healthy relationship, not only in a family, in friendship, but even during a single date. If you feel like there is a lack of communication and trust between you, most likely you are in an unhealthy relationship. It is important to discuss such relationships with a professional, who will help understand how to make them healthy, or whether it is worth continuing. Such a decision may take some time.
Building healthy relationships requires constant effort. Any relationship, be it work, friendship, family, or love, requires time and effort.
A healthy romantic relationship allows, even encourages, to maintain relationships with friends and relatives. It is important to have independent activities (leisure, work, etc.) to keep the spark alive. A healthy relationship should enable a person to express themselves freely and not fear criticism or consequences. The sense of comfort and safety should facilitate self-expression and freedom from judgment, while at the same time implying healthy criticism, discussion of mistakes and advice for their correction. In a relationship, you should respect each other’s personal space and privacy, for example, the need to be alone, to have a separate diary or phone passport, etc. Disagreements and conflicts are possible in every relationship, but in healthy relationships, conflicts are resolved through discussions and joint decision making. This is done in a relaxed, non-tense environment, which requires certain skills.
How to build a healthy relationship?
It takes time to get to know the other person. Try to communicate in different situations and environments, discuss each other’s interests. You can often talk on the phone or have meetings in public places and in the presence of several friends. Try to plan interesting, enjoyable and fun activities. Honesty and acceptance of the other person’s opinions and preferences can help build healthy relationships. For example, you can discuss which activities or places you find uninteresting or even unpleasant.
Respect
Respect is a very important prerequisite for building healthy relationships. No matter how long you have been dating, always remember that every person deserves to be treated with respect. You should treat the person with whom you have decided to build a relationship with respect. Respect can be built in the course of the relationship, along with getting to know the other person. But from the very first day of building the relationship, you must respect the other person’s personality, their independence, decision-making ability, worldview and feelings.
How to build mutual respect in a relationship?
Building respect in a relationship is an ongoing process. But how to figure out whether you can trust a person? This is quite difficult, especially at the initial stage. However, the behavior of that person in different situations can serve as an indicator.
Respect cannot be built on the will or willingness of one party only. It requires mutual commitment. When building relationships, it is very important to identify the following:
- Is your partner with you? This refers to both physical and spiritual presence. Do you have a supportive relationship? Does he care about your problems?
- Does your partner say what they think and do what they say? Do their words and behavior match?
Online domain
It is very difficult to discern the nature of a relationship when it is in the online domain. Before starting an online relationship, it is very important to define online boundaries. Are the following situations acceptable for you?
- You are tagged;
- Information on the relationship is published;
- Your friends become his/her friends;
- You know each other’s passwords.
When drawing boundaries in the online domain, it is very important to consider:
- Confidentiality of passwords: Always stay safe online, even if you are in a trusted relationship.
- Risks of sharing personal information: You should take into account that even though you are in a trusted relationship, you can never be sure how the other person might handle your personal information and secrets. You should try to be careful and keep certain boundaries. These risks double when it comes to sharing nude photos. Remember that after sending a picture, you can delete it within a few minutes or set a timer for the photo to disappear.
Overcoming conflict in healthy relationships
It is normal to have a conflict during the relationship. By conflict we mean verbal disagreement and counterarguments. People express their disagreement, which is natural. Effective conflict resolution contributes to healthy relationships. However, if conflict is a frequent occurrence in a relationship, it can be an indicator that the relationship is problematic. The following is crucial from the perspective of overcoming conflicts:
- Setting specific boundaries: Even during conflict, it is important to maintain a respectful relationship, but it is also important to establish boundaries from the beginning, so that your expectations are well understood by the other person.
- Identifying the real cause: Conflicts usually occur when the demands of one of the parties are not met. Learn and develop the ability to speak, which will allow you to discover the real cause of the conflict.
- “Agree to disagree”: If you cannot solve the problem, sometimes it is more effective to simply change your attitude towards the problem. However, if the issue is really important to you and you cannot forget it and come to an agreement, then you should reconsider your relationship.
- Compromises: Sometimes compromise is easier said than done, but it is key to successful conflict resolution. It is crucial that both parties feel satisfied with the outcome.
