A healthy relationship is one in which you are very comfortable around the other person. In other words, you are yourself around them, and you look forward to spending time with them.
On the other hand, when you are in a relationship in your heart you can feel some unspoken fear about your well-being, which is not good for you. This kind of relationship doesn’t often have long-term benefits. You want to feel valued and be respected, and if not, run!
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Below are 10 ways to know you are in a healthy relationship.
You feel comfortable being yourself
This is one of the first signs of a healthy relationship. Having someone you are comfortable around is a blessing. Imagine not having to pretend you are smart when your spouse or lover is literally a genius. They love whatever you cook for dinner as long as you are making progress at making good food. When they don’t remind you all the time about your insecurities, the relationship can be said to be healthy in this regard.
You Communicate Openly and Honestly
When your partner is your number one gist partner, you know your relationship is divine. Whether good or bad, when you can tell each other the scariest personal concerns without being hushed or judged, it is a quick way to know they love you and you are in a healthy relationship. If a relationship lacks open and honest communication, it means that either of the parties involved does not trust the other enough, which will lead us to the next point below about trust.
You Trust Each Other
Trust is saying ‘my husband is on his way, he will soon be here’ even when you have not recently heard from him, but you know his ways. In a healthy relationship, there is trust and consistency. Do you trust that your partner is thinking of you or you know for sure they don’t when you’re not in sight? Trust helps to build confidence in a relationship and so is an important sign to look out for. Trust is a sign that your relationship is healthy and you have less to worry about.
You Respect Each Other’s Boundaries
A good sign that what you have going on in your relationship is healthy is the level of respect for each other’s personal boundaries. Boundaries could be in many forms. For instance, when your partner repeats a similar joke to the ones you have never found funny could be a sign that they don’t have regard for how you feel. Also, when you have to disrespect your partners boundaries because they did the same to yours, that is already becoming a toxic relationship. In every relationship, there should be a good level of respect for each other’s opinion, space, and needs.
You Support Each Other’s Goals and Dreams
Never stand in the way of your partner’s growth the same way you do not want them hindering your progress. If you see signs of this already happening, it might be time to run. A healthy relationship should be characterised by positive growth on both sides. If one is blocking the other or not encouraging them to pursue their dreams, it could often be a big red flag. Are your dreams valid? Are they helping in the best way they can? Are you returning the favour? Answer these questions and reevaluate your relationship accordingly.
You Have Fun Together
If your relationship is lacking excitement and missing variety or joy, that’s not a good sign. What are your daily conversations like? Having fun times with your partner in your relationship can help nurture emotional connection and bridge the gaps when you’re feeling distant. So, when everything feel repetitive, and you constantly lack social needs, then you’re in an unhealthy relationship. Make efforts to make things lively around each other, introduce stuff like ‘fun Friday’, or a monthly challenge where you can try new activities or watch some new movies together.
You Handle Conflict Constructively
Even a healthy relationship can experience conflict once in a while. What happens during and after the conflict is an important factor when deciding if to stay or not. The number one contributor to conflict is arguments so, in the heat of the moment, try to avoid it. Instead, seize the moment to turn your disagreement into an avenue for growth and deeper connection. But if your partner is the type that goes lower when you go low and uses your sensitive information against you at every point of disagreement, that is not good. No one should be trying to win the fight, the goal is to resolve it.
You Feel Safe and Secure
A healthy relationship is one where the environment makes you feel safe and welcomed. You can be yourself without having to constantly hide your insecurities and shortcomings. An unhealthy one will always make you anxious and full of uncertainties. If you feel like you are always unable to express how you truly feel without being judged, and you often see yourself worrying about the intentions of your partner, that is not good as well. Whether in public or in the comfort of your privacy, you should be able to trust that your partner has your back.
You Have a Sense of Equality
One way to know if your relationship is unhealthy is if one party is constantly dominating the other especially around money, time, and family plans. If you need to make changes to things around your home, there’s need for everyone to have a voice. Whether in big decision-making or smaller ones, in a healthy relationship, no one person should have the final say. And when you share your opinion, it should be valued and even when there’s need to make compromises, it still should not be the same person making the sacrifices all the time.
You Prioritize Each Other’s Needs
Another way to know you are in a unhealthy relationship is observing the level of attention your partner pays to your important needs. A healthy relationship is where the two of you try your best to put each other’s needs first. These could be physical needs or emotional needs. By just looking at you, your partner should be able to tell what mood you are in without spelling it out for them. Irrespective of how busy they are, they will always make out time to checkup on you without unnecessary excuses.