HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
Valentine’s day has come and gone, and many people have celebrated their love and relationship with lavish dinners and extravagant flower arrangements. Social media posts are buzzing with hashtags and images of #TrueLove and #RelationshipGoals, and it got me thinking, what are relationship goals? What does that mean? I think we all want to be in a healthy and happy relationship, that’s a pretty safe assumption to make. Relationships are an important part of our lives, and have the potential to be fulfilling and rewarding when they are healthy. Unfortunately, many of us have been in what could be classified as
unhealthy relationships and it can be hard to know/understand what a healthy relationship can look like. These are 3 of the key characteristics that I believe are important and need to be present in any relationship.
1. Open and Honest communication
Communication is an essential element that needs to be present in any relationship in order for it to thrive and grow. You need to be able to speak openly to your partner about your thoughts and feelings, and feel like they are being valued and heard, not dismissed or ignored. Both partners are open to heating what the other person has to say and understands that by not giving importance to how the other person is feeling, it will lead to conflict and create a distance within the relationships.
2. Mutual Respect
The foundation of any relationship is a mutual sense of respect that partners hold for each other. In addition both people in the relationship need to recognize their value and worth, and what positive traits they bring to the relationship. This helps each partner to understand and value that they are both unique individuals with their own views, perspectives, and opinions and that this is something that you appreciate about the other person. When partner’s respect each other it also helps them to trust and communicate with each other.
3. Trust
Without trust a relationship is likely not going to work out or is going to be very toxic and unhealthy. It is incredibly important to be able to trust your partner and what they are saying. Trust allows for each partner to be able to communicate and validate the other person when they are opening up and expressing themselves. A relationship without trust can be invalidating, tumultuous, and can lead to
destructive and abusive behaviors.
Trying to distinguish between a healthy and an unhealthy relationship can be difficult. Conflict occurs in every relationship and there are times where things are more tense due to external changes outside of the relationship. How do you determine if this is a relationship that needs to be worked on or needs to end because of toxic and unhealthy patterns. It can help to speak to other’s in your support system, whether that is a family member, friend, or a mental health professional. It can help you to better understand the patterns in your relationship. If you need a professional opinion please reach out to a crisis line in your area or to a counsellor.
