Being healthy is correlated to well-being. The experts often suggest keeping mental and physical health at pace. Out of hundreds of factors, the relationship is one of the significant factors associated with your well-being. Although everything in this world has some flaws, no connection can be perfect.
We can make it better by sticking to good characters. The characteristics of a good relationship include trust, respect, affection, honesty, loyalty, open communication, and many more. Surprisingly, some couples, after living together, even for a decade, end up splitting. It is the consequence of having a conflictive or simply unhealthy, toxic relationship.
If I say, a healthy relationship is with an in-sync partner who never fights or is likely to have a good sex life, it would be wrong. You could quickly look at your relatives, friends, or celebrities admiring their partners; your brain is immediately polished with a fake coat. How you stick to healthy relationship characteristics defines the uniqueness of your relationship. You should never compare your relationship with others.
What Are the Characteristics of a Healthy Relationship?
“When it comes to healthy relationships, trust, communication, integrity, and mutual respect are qualities for bonding two people together and opening up a pathway for true intimacy. Investing quality time into understanding each other can create an enriching connection where you can share vulnerabilities in conversation, celebrate each other’s successes, and lean on one another in times of need! Ultimately, setting healthy boundaries will secure a strong foundation while deepening the emotional connection for longevity.” – says Relationship Coaches Jillian & Jan Yuhas.
Compelling evidence suggests healthy relationships directly contribute to a long, happy, and healthy life. A healthy relationship lets you stand against stress, develop healthy habits, and increase your lifespan. When your relationship expectations are unmet, your mental health will not function as it should. Indeed, it would hurt me to the deepest core, enough to make me sick. This is the consequence of pain, the absence of love, and emotional security.
When each partner believes a relationship takes effort, things are more sorted. A relationship can sum up unhealthy and healthy characteristics, of which nutritional features should be prominent. The beneficial relationship traits involve:
1. Safety
A healthy relationship is itself a safety source. Your partner shouldn’t make you feel threatened or you feel like avoiding contact. Your partner should provide security regarding finances, emotions, or physical.
2. Compromise
Disagreement is expected in a relationship, and both partners should be ready to compromise and come to a conclusion with mutual agreement. There should be no chance of one-sidedness.
3. Support
The most reliable thing your partner can do is support you in every phase of your life. A good partner will listen and share their feedback with honesty.
4. Independence
You might have your chores; love doesn’t mean getting stuck all day. Your partner must provide adequate time for you to be yourself.
5. Equality
If your partner tries to control you, it is a dominating trait. Equality is the most deserving thing; your partner should equally respect your emotions.
6. Privacy
Doesn’t matter what kind of relationship you have; you have the right to privacy. Sharing your emails, password, and contact lists doesn’t make your relationship strong; it brings uncertainties.
7. Intimacy
When I talk about physical intimacy, it isn’t always about sex. Physical intimacy must be about those actions that can be wholesome to you, like hugging, kissing, cuddling, etc.
8. Light-heartedness
Both partners can share fun moments or even joke about each other. Timing matters a lot here; playfulness can be toxic at profound moments.
9. Curiosity
Curiosity is the way to keep alive the enthusiasm for each other. Talking with your partner about your dreams, ambitions, or preferences is the most satisfying.
- Conflict solving
Occasional conflicts are tolerable, which might leave you frustrated even for a few days. After disputes, addressing your problems is crucial in resolving the contentious issues.
5 Characteristics of a Healthy Relationship
Licensed clinical social worker and Iyengar yoga teacher providing psychotherapy in New York City Anna Hindell says:
There are lots of things that matter for a healthy relationship.
● Trust
Trust is the foundation of the relationship. Both partners must feel confident in each other’s intentions, actions, and decisions. However, if you have some doubts, you can communicate openly. Building trust between partners might take time, but it allows them to be vulnerable with one another since they know they can rely on each other.
● Ability to compromise
Days are not always the same. Sometimes you have to compromise to make your partner a hobby. It is not always significant that you pursue your partner’s hobby even if you do not like that, help them with chores which you do not like. Things are always small, but you must compromise to support each other.
● Boundaries
Boundaries play an essential role in the relationship. Do respect each other’s boundaries and support each other. Relationships often require some privacy. You and your spouse can devise approaches to satisfy each other’s requirements that you both find comfortable.
● Consent
You and your partner must take consent from each other to maintain your relationship.
● Communication
Communication is the most critical factor in a relationship, and you and your partner must communicate openly and listen to each other actively. Fights are common in relationships, but you must resolve your problems with communication.
The most essential qualities in a relationship discussed above hold the core of the relationship.
Other Qualities of a Good Relationship
Two humans living together will always have some similarities and differences. Appreciation for similarities and acceptance of differences keeps the couple together is especially important for introverts. The qualities of a good relationship have great significance in maintaining togetherness.
A lot of the introverted men I work with want the comfort of a long term relationship, but they also fear losing their autonomy. If you’re someone who needs space, that doesn’t have to be a barrier to a healthy relationship. Let your partner know upfront that although you enjoy their company, you also need alone time to recharge. — Michaela Chung, introvert author and dating coach
If someone asks how they can keep their relationship healthy and strong? The answer is by incorporating the qualities in reality. The essential qualities of a good relationship are discussed below:-
● Compassion
Being compassionate is necessary to identify the sufferings of your partner. Also, the partner is meant to support you.
● Humility
It has a significant role in giving meaning to the relationship. It helps nourish the ties when you accept the truth and grow your personality.
● Understanding
Understanding develops from absorbing the words of your partner. However, it would take time to create an account.
● Self-love
Self-love is here referring to loving yourself as you love another person.
● Responsibility
When you and your partner’s responsibilities are equally shared, fulfilling duties become more manageable.
● Consistency
It refers to following a particular pattern when talking or doing something. Consistency maintains stability.
● Gentleness
Gentleness here refers to sensitivity towards your partner’s feelings. Sounding aggressive fuels conflicts. Gentleness in relationships improves communication.
● Growth
In a growth-oriented relationship, couples share their objectives. It might be a red flag if your partner doesn’t care about your ambitions. Growth-oriented couples incorporate positivity and gratitude in a romantic relationship working out through all challenges.
● Forgiveness
The quality of forgiveness requires utmost patience and trust. Forgiving you for hurtful deeds or words is hard for your partner. Faith and patience hold them to let go and give you another chance. Forgiveness often changes desires, preferences, or perceptions.
● Kindness
Kindness is a significant attribute in a human, and good partners don’t need to be told to help every time. Kindness is when your partner is generous, thoughtful, supportive, and compassionate for you without any expectation in return.
● Appreciation
Appreciation is what one can do to bring cheers all of a sudden. You can make your partner feel good and treasured with confidence by appreciating.
● Positivity
Every couple does struggle with problems; you can never assume happy couples are always satisfied with their relationship. Positivity is the light that brings a bright shine to exemplary aspects of life, not only bad things.
How to Build a Healthy Relationship
We asked a licensed Family and Marriage Therapist with over 12 years’ experience, Marlee Howard, about how to build a healthy relationship. And here are her recommendations:
- There is no theory for this. You have to put effort together.
- Develop understanding and listen to each other actively.
- Respect each other, and decide you never disrespect each other in public or private. If you have problems and want to discuss then communicate, do not fight.
- Trust your partner
- Take professional help if needed.
- Communicate and set boundaries and decide you both will never cross that.
- By breaking an issue down into smaller components or talking about the circumstance, dating partners may learn to solve challenges and come up with fresh ideas.
- When things are difficult, be there for your partner.
- When they require it, provide encouragement and emotional support.
- Make it clear to them that you always support and care for them.
A good relationship doesn’t indicate that the couples have no interpersonal problems. No relationship needs to be perfect; it just needs to be authentic. Love is eternal, but one must work to combat any hindrance. The good qualities of relationships make the connection unbreakably strong. The couples should emphasize what characteristics they are portraying and how they would affect the relationship.
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