Tips for a Healthy Relationship

The goal in any relationship is to feel safe, supported and respected. In intimate relationships we also have an expectation to be emotionally taken care of, wanted, unconditionally accepted, and loved to the core of our existence. We all want to feel part of something special, and not alone. According to Clinical Psychologist Dr. Lars Madsen, “What makes for a healthy romantic relationship differs from couple to couple. Forming a trusting and positive partnership takes effort and time, and unfortunately, it doesn’t just happen overnight. For any relationship to grow and stay strong, you need to put in some work.” Here are some tips that will help create and maintain a happy couple.

................................. Communication is one of the most important qualities of a healthy relationship. Healthy couples vocalize their love for one another and share compliments. They also discuss the bad instead of sweeping issues under the rug. In order to move forward and grow, you need to be able to talk about your feelings.

................................. Respecting your partner comes in many forms. Maintaining a joyful relationship means respecting your partner’s time, heart, character, and trust. Respect is an easy thing to lose, so be mindful that it works both ways.

................................. It doesn’t matter how much time you and your partner spend together. The most important thing is the quality of this time. It’s crucial to make sure that you are still engaging and spending meaningful time together to maintain a deep connection. Life gets busy, but don’t let that be an excuse.

................................. We often compare our lives to those of others; what jobs people have, their homes, their clothes, etc. With the ‘help’ of social media, we tend to compare our relationships as well. You should know that the happiest of couples don’t bother with what the grass looks like on the other side. They are happy with the view out their own front door.