Are You in a Healthy Relationship?

Maintaining a healthy relationship requires time and effort from each partner. Fostering a loving bond not only preserves the quality of your relationship, but ensures continuous, personal happiness.

Before you settle for much less than you deserve, find out  how to create a healthy relationship.

Maintaining a healthy relationship  requires time and effort from each partner. Fostering a loving bond not only preserves the quality of your relationship, but ensures continuous, personal happiness.

1. Don’t Strive For Absolute Perfection

No matter how similar you two are, at one point or another you are bound to face conflict. Oftentimes people are primarily concerned with maintaining a healthy relationship that appears “perfect”. In doing so they do not properly deal with the small issues that inevitably come to light.

Accepting and acknowledging differing views is not an immediate sign of an unhealthy relationship. An unhealthy mindset is believing that if your opinions do not align perfectly, the relationship is not going to work.

Do not let the occasional disagreements sever the bond you’ve created. Instead, allow these instances to be an opportunity for open communication. Recognize that obstacles are not completely avoidable and react to these disagreements using honesty and openness.

2.  Do Not Take Your Frustrations Out on Each Other

At times, couples unintentionally take their frustrations out on each other, snapping easily and responding with anger. It’s important to treat one another with kindness, regardless as to how bad your day was, or whether your partner is getting on your last nerve.

Always avoid passive aggressive comments that will result in resentment and hurt feelings. If your partner is asking you to do something after a long day, rather than snapping back with an accusatory defense, simply respond that you just need some time alone.

The more you practice openly voicing your frustrations in a sincere tone, the easier it is to stop displacing negative emotions on a relationship, especially in the instances your negative mood has little to do with your partner’s actions.

3. Make Time For One Another

Between work, education, and different social circles, it’s easy to get lost in diverging schedules that allow little room for alone time. Set aside a certain amount of time each week for just the two of you.

Use this time to shut off social media and other forms of communication, in order to truly spend alone time with your partner. The choice to completely unplug for a few hours demonstrates how much you value your time with them. Check in with each other every few weeks and discuss how you can improve or alter schedules to encourage more one on one time.

4. Do NOT Fall Into Routine

After you have known your partner for a longer period of time, it’s easy to fall into repetitive habits out of comfort and convenience. These routines include eating at similar restaurants every time you go out, only seeing each other at the same times each week, or doing the same activities over and over.

Consistency is good in moderation, however make sure you are continuously trying new activities together. Plan unusual vacations, eat in new places, and try different day trips on the weekends. Thrilling and unfamiliar activities will allow you to equate these happy memories with your relationship and strengthen the bond between you two.

5. Maintain Your Individuality

Occasional space is not a sign of an unhealthy relationship. An evident sign of an unhealthy relationship is when one or both of you insists you on doing everything together. No matter how much love a person, for your own sake you need time to recharge and reflect on yourself.

Discuss an appropriate amount of alone time and make sure this separation is not so frequent one person views it as rejection. Confiding in your partner and bonding over similar interests is important, but each person needs to genuinely support each other’s personal time.