But, first; what is a “healthy” relationship? Honestly, in a relationship you should be able to communicate your dreams, desires, wants, needs, and even your fantasies to your partner.
Healthy relationships are important to create and maintain because the opposite isn’t so healthy – toxic relationships, toxic love, toxic communication, etc can all create unhealthy negative and toxic outcomes.
That includes;
Depression
Not being able to sleep
Heart health
Mental health
Anxiety
Stress
Worry
JEALOUSY
Lack of sex
Lack of attraction
Lack of trust
etc
Being in a loving, kind, respectful, and healthy relationship equates to better well-being.
Here are a few signs that you and your mate are good matches.
1- You Aren’t Scared To Speak Up
Telling your partner about something you don’t like or that something is bothering you, takes guts. It’s a hard thing for anyone to do. Telling them how you feel takes you to a very vulnerable place.
If you aren’t afraid to speak up, chances are you have a healthy relationship where your partner cares about what you have to say, your opinion on things, and can see your side of things.
2- Trust Is Everything
Trust is such an important and basic part of a relationship and yet it’s mindboggling how many people don’t trust their mate. If you feel the need to snoop around in your partner’s items (or their phone) or you listen in on conversations, this is not you being trustworthy.
I get it, we all have baggage, but you gotta let go at some point and realize THIS partner is not THAT partner. On the other hand, your partner should be showing you that you CAN trust them. This is a two-way street.
3- You Know How To Give and Receive Love
I didn’t even know this was a proven scientific thing that people wrote books about until I was in a failing relationship and was grasping at straws for help. Knowing HOW you want to be loved and knowing HOW your partner likes to be loved, is important.
The best and most well-known book about this topic is called The 5 Languages Of Love and I would suggest checking it out! Some people like to receive touch, while others like acts of service and some even enjoy gifts or quality time.
To establish a strong and healthy relationship, it is essential to understand each other’s “love language” and express affection in a way that resonates with both partners. If I like acts of affection or touch and all my partner does is give me gifts, eventually it will bother me and I will miss that affection. But, there are definitely people out there that LOVE gifts as an act of love! You just have to find that person.
4- You Are Comfortable Being Yourself
Being cognizant of your strengths and weaknesses is crucial while in a relationship. It could be that you feel self-assured among your friends but are self-conscious at your workplace. Alternatively, you may be aware that minor issues, such as your partner’s failure to take out the trash, could easily upset you.
Acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses can assist you in developing self-love and acceptance, which, in turn, can enable you to love and accept your partner.
5- You Both Have Boundaries and You Both Respect Those Boundaries
A healthy, loving, and respectful relationship means that you are both working together to create and maintain a healthy relationship. Before you even bother stepping into a relationship *I* think you should talk about boundaries. Specifically values and morals.
Building a good foundation is the most important thing which means you’ll probably want someone with the same or about the same values as you. Someone that respects that relationship in the same way you do.
If you have a partner that ignores your boundaries and disrespects you, you aren’t in a healthy relationship.
6- You Feel Genuinely Happy and Supported!
Most people go through the “honeymoon phase” once they have become comfortable in a relationship, but it’s still important to stay aware, communicate, and check in with yourself. Too often in a relationship, we start moving automatically, without any thought to how it makes us feel.
It just becomes a part of our daily life. But, it’s important to step back and ask yourself if you are happy. It’s okay to do this. Doing so doesn’t automatically mean you are unhappy, it just means you are being aware and loving yourself enough to ask.
If you are unhappy, if you don’t have the same confidence you once did, if you are unhappy with your sex life, or if you feel any strain or lack of support – talk to your partner. It’s honestly the healthiest thing you can do and in turn the healthiest thing they can do is listen.
If they flip out? That’s not healthy. If they ignore you? That’s not healthy. If they do something behind your back? Again, not healthy.