A relationship is not always easy to maintain, especially when you have different expectations from what you thought you signed up for. Relationships can be a confusing time in anyone’s life; it’s easy to lose sight of the true nature of a relationship – whether that’s romantic or platonic, it doesn’t matter, because what’s important is the connection, the feeling, and the chemistry. That’s where real happiness and true intimacy are found, and with careful consideration, you can avoid the pitfalls of a relationship you are in.
If your partner has the following capabilities, then you can safely say that you have a healthy relationship. You can also check out the following signs from Hytch for assessing if your relationship is healthy and learning how you can improve it.
Let’s look into the 15 important signs that indicate a relationship is healthy:
1. Respect
The best relationships are those where both parties respectfully handle the conflict of opinion instead of stonewalling their partner for their opinions, lifestyle, etc. Both partners in a relationship hear each other out, even if they don’t accept each other’s opinion, and give each other room to live a life that is aligned with their values; that’s how a healthy relationship works. If you are with someone who treats you badly, thinks you are wrong about something, is jealous of you, and looks down on your family and friends for whatever reason, then this is not a respectful relationship.
2. Accepting Imperfections
If your partner accepts your imperfections all the while respecting your struggle to improve, then it is sign of a healthy relationship. We will never feel satisfied with every aspect of our partner; we can’t be. The trick is accepting each other’s uniqueness and allowing yourself to feel positive feelings about your partner, without trying to push them away. If you are constantly searching for that perfect partner, the one who is everything you ever wanted and that you’ve been looking for forever, you may end up marrying the wrong person, or not at all. It’s much better to let go of the notion that you’ll find an out-of-the-world person to live your life with and just accept that we all have some imperfections and weak points we struggle with.
3. Trust and Conversation
You trust your mate with your most precious possessions – your heart, your home, your car, your family, your future, and your soul. If you can cherish a sense of trust and loyalty in your relationship and difficult talks no longer sound dreadful, you can assume it’s a healthy relationship. Trusting each other to carefully handle difficult conversations is not something many couples enjoy in a relationship after all.
4. Chemistry and Companionship
When you’re dating someone or are in a long-term relationship, you want to know if there’s an instant spark between the two of you. A woman wants a man who makes her feel safe and protected. A man wants a woman who knows what she wants, even if he may not say it. If your partner understands you fully, it means you have a healthy relationship.
5. Intimacy and Pleasure
A couple should feel as though they’re always together. Intimacy and physical contact are important, especially for older couples. Also, sometimes people have been in relationships where they were bored and that’s not what a relationship is about. Relationships should have both intimacy and pleasure.
6. Understanding Relationships are Long-Term Commitments
As we all know, long-term commitment is far more than just two people living together and sharing time. A relationship is like a circle, a cycle of growth and change. We all grow up, live, age, and die. Our relationship is just one chapter in the long book of life. We all will die, but our lives will be remembered for generations to come. If this point is understood by both then it’s a sign of a healthy relationship.
7. Understanding Each Other’s Perspective
Understanding other’s perspectives is a huge sign of a healthy relationship. If your partner shows a willingness to hear out your take on a certain matter without getting offended by it, he or she may be perfect for you. The more we are open to new ideas, new experiences, and changes in ourselves, the less there are chances we will be disappointed in our partners.
8. Forgiving Nature
Your partner must have a forgiving nature. Whether we like it or not, we end up making mistakes in our life and if your life partner understands that it is okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them and grow as a person, you can safely say it’s a healthy relationship. Life is too short to spend holding grudges and blaming each other for the bad choices we made. Even if we never have the chance to work things out, you should try to forgive your partner wherever possible. You should be able to let go of the past and concentrate on the present and future.
9. Compromise is the Key
A healthy relationship will always have an acceptance for give and take. No one is perfect and no one is the same. There is always something that the other person can’t do for you. Don’t just take it for granted that your partner will always be there for you and learn to compromise in aspects of life that don’t contradict your core personal values. Taking responsibility for your happiness and well-being is a key to healthy relationships.
10. Be Mature
Keep your eyes on the prize; don’t focus on the goal, which is to find the perfect relationship, or to find the perfect person. Instead, focus on being a mature and responsible adult, and live and love the way you want to be loved. Learn to let go of the idea that you will find the perfect relationship and that it will last forever. We all know the truth about relationships: they do not last forever and often fail to even last a few years. It’s only natural that we will all get hurt and that we’ll lose some good friends; that’s part of life. Be happy with the person you are, and the time you have with him or her, rather than feeling like you’re missing out on something else.
11. Be Who You Are
Be happy with yourself. If you are happy with yourself, it’ll be much easier to be in a good relationship. If you have a positive view of your life, a positive image of yourself, and a positive view of who you are, then you won’t attract a negative person into your life, and you’ll certainly attract a positive person. If you feel like you have a self-esteem problem, if you’re not confident in yourself, then you’ll attract people who are not confident either. If you think you’re better than everyone else, you won’t attract people who believe that they’re as good as you are.
12. Undo Your Mistakes
If your partner corrects his or her mistakes rather than indulging in the blame game, it is a sign they are a perfect match for you. We’re all going to have bad days, and we all are going to do things we are not proud of. In fact, we’re all selfish to some extent. That’s just part of being human. But we have an opportunity to make up for the mistakes we’ve made in the past and start over again and build a relationship with the person we chose.
13. Accept Your Partner Wholly
Don’t get into a relationship because you think you’ll change the person or the way he or she acts. If you meet someone that you connect with on a deep level, and if you realize that this is the kind of person you want to share your life with, then don’t wait to start a relationship; just start. Make it right from the very beginning. Be honest with your partner, but also be honest with yourself. Know that you may change over time; everyone does. Love is not an emotion, it’s a choice.
14. Don’t Be Controlling
If your partner gives you space to live your life according to your personal values, it’s a sign you are in a healthy relationship. If you’re with a person who is controlling, tells you what you can and cannot do, doesn’t trust you, doesn’t accept your thoughts and ideas, gets angry when you say no, has a hard time communicating with you, and tries to keep you down, then it’s not a healthy relationship. If you’re with someone who holds grudges and can’t let go, has trouble apologizing, and doesn’t accept responsibility for his or her actions, it’s not a healthy relationship.
15. Love Yourself
If your partner encourages you to be who you are all the while helping you grow, it’s a sign you are in a healthy relationship. It’s hard to get out of a toxic relationship if you haven’t learned how to love yourself. The best relationships I’ve been in were the ones where I’ve accepted myself as a human being and learned how to love the person that is in my life. You don’t need to be afraid to fall in love, and you shouldn’t hold yourself back from loving your partner.