The concept of what a healthy relationship is can be confusing to many as we are surrounded by media full of unrealistic relationships, social media portraying only perfection from friends and influencers, and a multitude of opinions from friends, family, co-workers, etc. We often hear that love should be easy and the idea of “love at first sight” is romanticized; so why can love feel like much work and full of confusion?
The One Love Foundation, they have outlined five steps to ensuring individuals are aware of what a real healthy relationship looks and feels like:
- Communication
Everyone has heard that communication is key to a healthy relationship. This advice is a cliche for a reason. It is important in every type of relationship for both individuals to find a balance in communication they are both comfortable with. It also helps to know how you and your partner best communicate - someone might prefer talking and the other writing. As long as it’s respectful, there is no “right” way to communicate.
- Respect
Respect your partner's opinions, decisions, hobbies, etc. Even if you may not agree with your partner on everything, you still respect who they are and they should still respect who you are! Just because you have a relationship does not mean you are entitled to change your partner to know about everything they are doing, saying, and thinking.
- Boundaries
First, know what your own personal boundaries mean to you. Then, have a healthy discussion with your partner about what your boundaries are as well as what theirs are. If a relationship is healthy, you should both feel 100% safe communicating these boundaries to each other.
- Trust
Trust is the most essential part of creating a healthy relationship. While it is only natural for trust to build over time, it is important for each partner to enter the relationship with an open mind. Consistent affection, support, respect, and communication will help trust develop naturally.
- Support
Having support is one of the main reasons people enter into a relationship. You are likely to enter a relationship because you like being around that person and want to help support them as well as receive love and support in return. In a healthy relationship, partners will continuously treat each other as equals and not use tactics to manipulate and/or control. A healthy and supportive partner will always want what is best for their partner.
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