Tips for healthy relationships

Article by;

Hamza Hamza

U16MM1058

&

Ibrahim Barma 

U16MM1032

Healthy relationships involve honesty, trust, respect and open communication between partners. Studies show that people with healthy relationships have more happiness and less stress. There are some ways to make relationships healthy, even though each relationship is different. These tips apply to all kinds of relationships for example friendships, work and family relationships, and romantic partnerships. Some of them are:

Good communication between partners is essential to healthy relationships. Share your  information with your partner,   Studies show that sharing information helps relationships begin.  Let your partner know who you are, but don’t overwhelm with too much personal information too soon. Ask them questions  Show you're concern. Ask about their experiences, feelings, opinions, and interests. Keep your language clear and specific.  Try to factually describe behavior that you are upset with, avoiding criticism and judgment.  Attack the problem, not the person.

Most relationships have some conflict. It only means you disagree about something; it does not have to mean you don't like each other. In this case recognize some problems that are not easily solved.  Not all differences or difficulties can be resolved.  You are different people, and your values, beliefs, habits, and personality may not always be in alignment.  Communication goes a long way toward helping you understand each other and address concerns, but some things are deeply rooted and may not change significantly.  It is important to figure out for yourself what you can accept, or when a relationship is no longer healthy for you. Take responsibility for mistakes.  Apologize if you have done something wrong. 

Trust This is a big one. All healthy relationships require mutual and unguarded trust between partners. Regardless of what either partner has experienced in the past, like a cheating ex or a parent’s divorce, in a healthy relationship your partner will trust you completely. Do remember that it takes time to build trust in a relationship (it usually doesn’t come right off the bat!) and that when your partner fully trusts you with their feelings, you should respect them and not betray their trust. Cheating on them or doing things to make them jealous isn’t right. On the flip side, if you don’t trust your partner then you shouldn’t be with them. DON’T ever let your partner use their lack of trust or past experiences as an excuse to control you, question you or otherwise make you feel as though you need to go out of your to way earn their trust. Steadfast affection, support, respect, and communication will naturally strengthen the trust in your relationship.

Respect in a relationship is reflected in how you treat each other on a daily basis. you should be able to respect and value each other’s opinions and feelings. Respect is actually about the freedom to be yourself and to be loved for who you are. In a healthy relationship, respect looks like: Talking openly and honestly with each other, Listening to each other, compromising, Valuing each other’s feelings and needs.

Boundaries We all have personal boundaries on what makes us feel good, comfortable, safe, etc. In a healthy relationship, you should feel 100% comfortable communicating those boundaries and know that they will be respected (and vice versa for your partner). If you only want to hang out 3 times a week – that’s fine; if you want to wait before getting intimate – totally cool; if you want to keep your Monday Funday night with the biffles – do it! Remember that you shouldn’t feel nervous or scared to set personal boundaries in any relationship. And if you feel like your partner or friend is using boundaries to control you, like telling you not to hang out with friends or requiring you to share passwords, it’s time to rethink the relationship!