Whether we’re in a romantic relationship or not, healthy relationships are an important part of our lives. These relationships provide social support, and they help us manage stress. In fact, research suggests that a variety of close relationships can add years to our lifespans.
A relationship is a feeling of connection and love based on mutual trust and care between two or more people. This includes family, friendship, and romantic relationships. Relationships can be beneficial or harmful, but they all depend on four pillars: communication, respect, trust, and love.
When it comes to romantic relationships, respect involves a genuine admiration for the person you’re in a relationship with. It also means taking the other person at their word and assuming that they’ll follow through on their commitments. It’s not always easy to do, but it’s an essential part of any healthy relationship.
Healthy relationships also involve realism and a willingness to adjust your expectations as necessary. For instance, your specific needs around time together, sex, affection, space, and shared hobbies or values may change throughout the course of your life, so it’s important to talk about these issues with your partner regularly.
A good way to test the health of your relationship is to see if you can maintain other healthy relationships outside of your significant other. This is important, because it can prevent you from becoming too dependent on your partner or resenting them for spending time with their friends. In addition, it’s good to have friends who can offer different perspectives and support you when things aren’t going well in your relationship.