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Relationships are the lifeblood of humans, and we strive towards building healthy relationships with our partners. But how to have a healthy relationship? It is easy to start a relationship, but nurturing and sustaining it requires time, energy, patience, and effort. Relationships can fail if the couple doesn’t put joint efforts into making it work. Read through our post as we present some important tips for a healthy and long-term relationship.
How To Have A Healthy Relationship: 11 Tips
1. Spend quality time together
One of the most effective ways to keep your relationship strong is to spend more time with your partner. The time you spend together should be used judiciously for making memories rather than bickering. This will help both you and your love nurture the relationship. However, spending quality time means interacting with each other. Being in one room and doing different activities doesn’t qualify as quality time.
2. Have open communication
Talk, talk and talk with your partner, and if need be, talk more. Make sure you’re speaking your mind. Communicating your feelings, insecurities, and probable issues in the relationship will help you resolve issues. Openness in a relationship ensures that you both have a stress-free romantic time. have a stress-free romantic time. You may even communicate your desires and goals with each other so you know how to proceed and get there.
3. Don’t let the love die
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Disagreements and disputes are common with any couple, but amidst all of this, never forget the purpose of your relationship, which is love and affection. Whenever you feel vexed with your partner, remember your initial days of romance, and it will help you fall in love with them again. You may try doing what you enjoyed earlier for starters and see how it goes. You both need to support each other in the situations life throws at you to grow. Rekindle your romance by thinking about the deep friendship you both shared.
A healthy relationship requires the nurturing of individual growth and self-care. Tantowi Gilang, a blogger, shares her experience of the lessons she learnt after being in a healthy relationship for a long time. She says, “I’ve been dating someone for six years. During the journey, there was not much argument or fighting. I asked myself, what makes my relationship last at this point? I was fortunate to meet someone who was on the same page as me (i).”
4. Learn something new together
Go to a music, dance, painting, or drawing class with your partner or anything that interests both of you. In this way, you can spend time together and also get to learn something new and interesting. Both of you can also discuss how to do it better and anything concerned with your learning, which will help you better understand your partner.
5. Be transparent
Maintaining transparency is pivotal to a healthy relationship. Do not keep secrets from your lover because things that seem trivial to you might touch a raw nerve with your partner, and these issues may cause irreparable damage in the long term.
6. Listen to understand
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Most of us listen to reply, not to understand. When your significant other is going through stress or is in a bad mood, you should be the first person they should confide in because no one can understand them better than you. So start listening to understand and show empathy. The best way for them to feel heard is by summarizing what they said to ensure that you understand and provide an empathetic comment that you are with them. For example, “It sounds like you had a really rough day, I am sorry to hear that.”
7. Make your sorry count
Quarreling, shouting, and arguing with your partner are part and parcel of any relationship, but what counts is apologizing wholeheartedly. When we say sorry, it shouldn’t be lip service but should come from within, and your partner may appreciate your genuineness and honesty. Take accountability, show acceptance of your mistakes, and offer a suggestion on how to fix the problem.
8. Understand non-verbal cues
This is one of the subtle but important aspects of a relationship and is a testament to how well you know your love. Your partner’s body language, hand gestures, and the way they roll their eyes, all these subtle cues can convey a lot, and you should be receptive to them.
9. Respect boundaries
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Every relationship should have clearly demarcated boundaries, even if it is with your partner. Maintaining those boundaries and respecting each other’s space and time will go a long way in the growth of the relationship. Neither of you must cross the thin line to ensure your relationship sustains in the long run.
10. Be emotionally available
Understanding your partner’s emotions and empathizing with them is what is expected of a partner. Giving them a shoulder to cry on when they’re low and patting their back when they need that extra push will make them love and respect you even more.
11. Trust your partner
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Trust lays the foundation for any healthy relationship, more so in romantic relationships. You need to have an inherent trust in your partner, and vice versa. Trust goes beyond not cheating and lying. You should feel safe and protected when they’re around if you trust them.
What Are 3 C’s In A Healthy Relationship?
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The three C’s required for a healthy relationship are communication, compromise, and commitment. Clear and effective communication goes a long way in consolidating a relationship, and communication doesn’t always have to be verbal, as actions speak louder than words. Compromising doesn’t always mean sacrifice; rather, placing your partner and the relationship above everything else. The other important aspect of a wholesome relationship is commitment, and remember that you do it for life when you commit. You vow to stand by your partner no matter what and who is against you. It will be expected of you to show loyalty towards your partner. Following the three C’s will pave the way for an enriching and fulfilling relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the five most important things in a relationship?
The five essential qualities every healthy relationship should have are mutual trust, honest communication, intimacy, healthy conflict resolution, and good listening skills. Building a relationship rooted in these qualities may take time but is worth the effort.
2. What should you avoid in a relationship?
To build a healthy relationship, avoid trying to control or change your partner, excessive jealousy, constantly talking about your ex, and centering your life around them. A healthy relationship should allow enough space for you both to grow as individuals and as partners.
3. What role does emotional support play in a healthy relationship?
Emotional support is vital for fostering trust and intimacy in a relationship. It offers relief during life’s challenges and promotes personal growth through validation and acceptance of each other’s experiences. In addition, you can strengthen your emotional bond by consistently creating a safe space for your partner to share their feelings and vulnerabilities.
4. What is real healthy love?
Real healthy love is a deep and genuine connection between two individuals, characterized by respect, trust, and mutual support. It is a relationship where both partners feel safe, loved, valued, and understood.
In this post, we highlighted some vital tips and the 3 C’s for a healthy relationship, but most importantly, supporting and understanding your partner is what consolidates a relationship. We all seek partners who stand by us through thick and thin, and being the partners that we seek in a relationship will keep the flame of romance burning till eternity.
Infographic: Effective Ways To Establish A Healthy Relationship
Whether starting a new relationship or looking to strengthen an existing one, building a healthy equation ensures a long-lasting bond between partners. But what does it take to make a healthy relationship? Check out the infographic below as we present valuable tips to build a healthy relationship.
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Key Pointers
- Effective communication, compromise, and commitment are vital for a wholesome relationship.
- Strengthen your bond by spending quality time and learning new skills together.
- Transparency and open communication are crucial to deepen understanding in a relationship.
- Trust your partner wholeheartedly and practice patient listening for a long-lasting relationship.
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Who doesn’t want a long-lasting and healthy relationship? Discover 11 essential tips for cultivating a healthy relationship and learn how to effectively communicate, express appreciation, and foster trust with your partner.
Personal Experience: Source
MomJunction articles include first-hand experiences to provide you with better insights through real-life narratives. Here are the sources of personal accounts referenced in this article.
i. After six years of dating, here are seven things I’ve learned about healthy relationships;https://medium.com/@tantowigilang/after-six-years-of-dating-here-are-seven-things-ive-learned-about-healthy-relationships-a7bb0438a4b4
