10 Factors for Healthy Relationships
The world is full of mediocre relationships that go nowhere and leave both sides yearning for more.
Some people are not even that lucky. Instead, they suffer through abusive, toxic, and one-sided relationships that leave them forever broken or jaded.
What a lot of people get wrong when deciding to get into a relationship of any sort is the fact that it’s a lot of work.
Both partners have to put their hearts into it, and there are certain factors that play into whether a relationship is going to turn out well or not.
Today’s topic will be about 10 factors that make any relationship healthy and good for everyone.
1. Trust:
Trust is the lifeline of any healthy relationship. When you are with someone you trust, it becomes easier to open up and be vulnerable.
It’s also much easier to be your true self, something that is required for long-term relationships. Gaining someone’s trust should not be sudden. You should take your time and learn to enjoy every moment with them.
However, once you gain someone’s trust, it’s really easy to break it, and if that happens, gaining it back can be extremely difficult, if not impossible.
This is why you should treat every relationship with care, ensuring the other person can be at their best when they are with you.
2. Communication:
The worst thing that can happen in any relationship is a lack of communication. It’s similar to giving the other person the cold shoulder.
When you refuse to communicate everything, you build up mental barriers between each other, which can lead to resentment and passive-aggressive behaviour later down the line.
Healthy relationships are all about maintaining open communication and finding ways to solve any issues that might arise when people hold different opinions or beliefs.
Like anything in life, if communication is difficult for you, you need to put in the time and practice.
If done right, communication makes it easy to build healthy boundaries, which are the building blocks of healthy relationships.
3. Vulnerability:
Being vulnerable doesn’t mean turning to people and crying on their shoulders. That’s called therapy.
Instead, it’s all about sharing your deepest worries, fears, and hopes with someone in a way that communicates ease and deep feelings. It’s also literally the only way that real love and intimacy can happen.
Vulnerability requires strength, and it’s from this strength that healthy, long-lasting relationships are born. It can feel almost impossible to be vulnerable with someone, and it can take a long time to do it.
That’s why being patient with each other and gradually discussing more profound topics over time is important. You really can’t rush this one, as it might lead to misunderstandings and fractured trust.
4. Authenticity:
Healthy relationships have people who are at their absolute best. Authentic individuals have a healthy mindset, have goals they want to achieve, and are not shy about their pet peeves and quirks.
Being authentic requires deep introspection and a lot of experience. This process happens quicker if you are in a relationship where the other person supports you in everything you do.
On the other hand, being TOO authentic can be a problem because it might be interpreted as being rude or uncaring in some situations. After all, no one likes an arrogant person or a jerk.
To avoid that, stay true to yourself while respecting the boundaries of the other person. They’ll love you more for it, and it will build a stronger foundation for the future.
5. Boundaries:
This word was mentioned a lot here. It’s an important one. Boundaries are what keep everyone in a relationship on the same level.
Setting healthy boundaries means you have certain dos and don'ts you want the other person to respect. If they don’t, it’s a sign the relationship won't last long and will either turn toxic or abusive.
Everyone should ideally set boundaries. That way, respect is ensured, and no communication breakdown is likely to occur.
A boundary can be as simple as you not wanting to chat at 2 PM at night. It’s a fair one too. Some people don’t like staying up late, and ignoring that is disrespectful.
6. Fun & Excitement:
A healthy relationship is an exciting one. It’s full of adventure, good times, and laughter.
A relationship lacking in those things will have people dissatisfied and bored with the daily grind, a sign you should spice things up and try new things.
You are trying to have a breath of fresh air with the other person, so it’s a good idea to remind yourself to stay positive and give them a good time.
The most important thing here is that people in healthy relationships enjoy spending time with each other. This is what everyone should aim for.
7. Responsibility:
Responsible individuals are able to course-correct when something bad happens. They own their words and actions and don’t leave room for doubt.
Responsibility in a healthy relationship appears when you don’t blame anyone for anything, and if you make a mistake, you know it’s better to apologise instead of starting a fight.
On an even bigger scale, responsibility manifests when someone does everything they have to do without complaining. That can be as simple as doing daily chores or taking on a less-than-ideal job to pay the bills.
8. Empathy:
Listening when someone needs it does wonders. It’s a part of being empathetic, a key factor in establishing a healthy relationship.
When people are empathetic towards each other, they understand why problems happen, how their partner/friend reacts and thinks about a situation, and how to best ease their burden.
Empathy is powerful, and it can take your relationship to new heights when you do it right. Just be mindful of being too empathetic and becoming nosy or a pushover.
9. Freedom:
There’s a certain charm in being free to do whatever you want while also taking comfort in the fact that you can do it with a second person.
Healthy relationships give individuals enough space to do what they want without feeling suffocated. In other words, it’s all about maintaining independence and having a life of your own.
If the relationship becomes the goal, it can lead to a lot of unrealistic expectations, clinginess, and feeling restricted.
You want to avoid all that when looking for a healthy relationship.
10. Equality:
You and the other person are on the same level. You don’t make each other feel “lesser” or try to beat each other down.
It’s a hallmark of healthy relationships and a sign that you see real value in spending time together. It’s also a sign of maturity, something that makes relationships in general easier to handle.
When people in a relationship are equal, they do things they both agree on, they make compromises when necessary, and they do their best to solve conflicts in a way that leaves them better off.
Equality in a healthy relationship gives everyone the tools they need to better grow and improve themselves without feeling judged.
In Conclusion:
Building healthy relationships will give you a better quality of life, whatever that relationship is.
There are quite a lot of things that have to be in place before a relationship can be called healthy.
The good news is that this article has outlined all the essential 10 factors that make relationships healthy and successful.
Now, it’s up to you what to do with this newfound knowledge and how to best apply it.