How to Maintain a Healthy Relationship

The foundation of a healthy relationship starts with basic friendship and ends with communication. Trust, in regards to needs and responsibilities, ties these aspects together. Since no two relationships are alike, the exact formula differs from couple to couple. However, you can use these building blocks to help build a strong bond, whether you're married or dating.

Friendship

Many romantic connections develop out of friendships. While not everyone starts that way, you can learn from this concept. If a partnership seems troubled, you can revive it by going back to companionship basics. When you're single and can't seem to find a partner, start by building a friendship first.

Respect

Since having different viewpoints and opinions is normal, reaction to them determines the tone of a relationship. When disagreements arise, respect keeps things civil. This simple act shows that you can accept a partner. However, you should not tolerate damaging behaviors like abuse or addiction because they aren't healthy. When it comes to irritating habits, picking on them doesn't show respect and can denote underlying, deeper issues that need to be addressed.

Needs

Both partners to feel satisfied in a relationship, which means each partner needs his/her essential needs met. These essentials can include emotional support, humor, forgiveness, intimacy, compassion, and acceptance. Since these differ from person to person, each partner needs to become aware of what the other desires. A willingness to fulfill these requirements can lead to healthy fulfillment, but only if it gets returned.

Responsibilities

Everyone has emotional, financial, mental, and physical responsibilities. While slacking off won't affect others much when you're single, it can cause damage when in a relationship. Examples of these accountabilities include staying away from self-destructive patterns, providing physical care and intimacy, maintaining a positive attitude, taking on the role of provider, and offering emotional support.

If you were raised in a home where you lacked some of these cornerstones, it can seem hard to become a good partner. Even those who were responsibly raised can find it difficult to adjust to a partner's personality. That's why it is essential to assess the missing links so you can make an effort to overcome potential problems.

Communication

Communication plays a crucial role in healthy relationships. That's because you need it to solve problems. You can't place blame on a partner if you don't share concerns, and you need to be able to listen to his apprehensions.

Relationships often fail because each partner progresses differently in life. Some people move forward easily while others become content with stagnant situations. If both can grow towards common goals amicably by using these tips, you will most likely make your partnership a healthy one.