In the haze of new-found love, it’s easy to dismiss the red flags, gloss over the unhealthy habits, and ignore the blind spots or gaps in our prospective partners. This allows us to jump in blindly, into relationships that aren’t right for us.
For those who are in long-term partnerships, things like common interests, security, undeniable chemistry, and quirky and engaging personalities, keep us attached when maybe they shouldn’t. So, how do you know that your relationship is a healthy one?
To help you identify if you’re in a healthy relationship, here are 5 signs to look for.
1. You Communicate Well Together
When two individuals are unable to communicate, it causes major problems in the relationship because it sows distrust, causes misunderstandings, and makes individuals feel unheard. Poor communication looks like defensive reactions, interrupting one another, and emotions that run too high.
A healthy relationship with good communication has both individuals attentively listening, keeping emotions in check, summarizing what is said and validating your partner’s feelings. By giving your partner the courtesy to be heard, validated, and reassured, you ensure that they feel understood and supported regardless of the issue at hand.
2. Trust is at the Core of Your Partnership
In a healthy relationship, trust is formed by partners who are reliable, available, and true in both their words and actions. When situations that crop up that test a partnership’s trust, and concerns are laid bare, each partner is proactive about reassuring the other out of compassion, love, and commitment for one another, rather than out of defensiveness or dismissiveness.
If temptations, insecurities, and jealousy reign, reevaluate.
3. You Respect One Another & Maintain Individual Space
A healthy relationship comes with a sizable dose of respect for one another. Respect in the sense that you say thank you, that you actively listen, and that you understand that they are a unique individual with their own needs, interests, and experiences.
This makes it a lot easier to maintain individual space for one another, allowing each other to maintain and act on individual interests without making them feel guilty for engaging in them or for not sharing them with you.
4. Your Boundaries Are Communicated and Honored
You are on the same team, point-blank. This means that when boundaries are communicated, they are also honored. Boundaries can surround any topic that is important to you, but the most common are money, sexual expression, tolerances (physical and emotional), family, friendships, and even future goals. If you have hard and fast boundaries like not displaying affection in public, or budgeting is a must for large purchases, and your partner respects them every time they come up, then this is a sign of a healthy relationship.
If your partner tries to get you to cross your boundaries, like splurging on something while they know you’re saving up for XYZ, then this is a clear sign of a lack of respect, love, and honor.
5. You Both Invest Into the Relationship
A healthy relationship will run dry if there isn’t an investment into the connection you share with one another. It is critical to have regular date nights, book weekends away, and be proactive about using the pockets of time that pop up for quick connection breaks during the workweek.
Things like putting money away for a short holiday, texting on your break to check in, or even flirting with each other when you least expect it, goes a long way to showcase your love and support of one another and the relationship itself.
Wrapping It Up
In a healthy relationship, not only will you feel secure enough to speak up when problems arise, but your partner is going to actively listen to you, support you, and work with you to come up with a solution. You act as a team and ensure that desires, needs, and boundaries are respected, honored, and fulfilled. By doing these things, trust can flourish, and you’ll both feel good about investing in one another for the long haul.
