How to Develop Healthy Relationships

 

Healthy relationships are built on healthy communication, mutual respect and trust. In a healthy relationship, both partners feel valued and respected, and their boundaries are respected. Boundaries can be physical, emotional and sexual. In a healthy relationship, each member of the couple respects the other's goals, whether personal, professional or educational. It is also essential to respect the other's need to spend time with other people or alone. Healthy relationship dynamics can apply to intimate partners, friends, family, and co-workers.

Communication is a key element of a healthy relationship

• Using demeaning or passive-aggressive language and not expressing one's needs can be detrimental to a relationship.
• Every couple should feel comfortable expressing their emotions, frustrations, and concerns without fear. In any relationship, there are times when there are disagreements, but in a healthy relationship it is possible to disagree in a mutually respectful way.
• When you have a disagreement, there should be no stumbling blocks of blame, manipulation, intimidation, violence or threats of violence.
• This includes symbolic violence such as throwing or breaking objects or damaging property during an argument.

Trust is another key component in a healthy relationship

• When trust has been earned in a relationship, jealousy should not be a factor.
• When there is a lack of trust in a relationship it can manifest itself in ways such as resentment over time spent with other people, surveillance of communication in ways such as demanding to read text messages and emails, the desire to obtain passwords. for social media accounts and the desire for phone calls to be answered on speakerphone. These types of behavior show that one partner does not fully trust the other, and could also be potential red flags for controlling and abusive behavior.
• When there is trust in a relationship, one partner does not feel threatened by the other partner having other relationships with family and friends.

Respecting boundaries is another key factor in a healthy relationship. Not respecting someone's boundaries can manifest itself in many different ways.

• Not respecting someone's emotional boundaries can include bringing up painful emotional wounds during arguments or using past trauma to hurt someone.
• Sexual boundaries can be violated by refusing to practice safe sex, coercing someone into sexual activity they are not comfortable with, sabotaging birth control, and ignoring safe words.
• Physical boundaries can be violated if someone is uncomfortable with public displays of affection but their partner continues to exhibit that behavior, not respecting personal space (particularly during arguments) and using physical touch in a way that their partner does not. she feels comfortable.
• It is important to know what your personal boundaries are and be able to communicate them clearly so that they can be respected.

Healthy relationships are critical for emotional connection and allow us to thrive. When someone hasn't had healthy relationships modeled for them, it can be difficult to have a healthy relationship. However, it is never too late to learn how to have healthy relationships.