by A relationship should feel good about yourself, your partner, and the relationship itself most of the time. Humans are a social species that depend on a network of relationships to survive and thrive. We are just as obsessed with communication as we have basic needs for food and shelter. Strong, healthy relationships are the key to maintaining and improving your overall physical and mental well-being throughout your life.
Behavioral scientist Logan Urey says, “Our overall health, happiness, and life satisfaction depend on the quality of our relationships.” “When it comes to marriage, journalist Maggie Gallagher and sociologist Linda J. Waite explain that positive relationships have a profound impact on children’s well-being, physical and mental health, longevity, wealth and well-being.”
Studies show that positive relationships reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol2 and can also extend lifespan by giving people a sense of well-being and purpose3. Studies show that people in romantic relationships have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease4. So what does a positive relationship look like? Read from expert Yuri about 7 characteristics of positive relationships and how to strengthen romantic relationships.
Characteristics of Positive Relationships
They bring out your best.
“You like a person when you are around them because you feel comfortable, confident, and happy when you are around them,” Uri says.
Relationships help not only feel good, but also good things. Everyone is on their own path of growth, and each person will eventually have to take the necessary steps to improve, but the best relationships encourage and support each other in reaching these individual goals. Strong self-esteem is the foundation of strong and healthy relationships with others.
You are good at fighting.
Not all couples fight, but not all couples can fight healthy. Yuri admits that “there is inevitably going to be a relationship problem.” “It’s not about not fighting, it’s about learning to fight well. Successful couples have the tools to handle difficult situations.”
A fight with a partner doesn’t have to be a fight between a loser and a winner. If you don’t know how to fight fairly (no swear words, insults, or eye rolls), you’re not ready to discuss it yet. Take a break for half an hour or a few days, and come back when you’re ready to calmly discuss your immediate problem and your partner’s needs. Fighting politely is something everyone should learn to maintain a positive relationship.
You keep your personality. Before you found a partner, you had life, friends, and hobbies that you enjoyed. In fact, your partner may have fallen in love with you because he liked your unique outlook on life, the way you treat your friends, and these interesting hobbies. However, when a new relationship is formed, the time of ‘I’ inevitably becomes the time of ‘we’. How can you relate to others without losing yourself? Maintaining this personal interest when in a relationship can contribute to a stronger sense of self, which can lead to greater intimacy, love, and passion in the relationship. Take turns supporting each other.
All relationships go through a series of natural changes over time. One of the partners may lose a parent or a job, which can affect the way they appear in a relationship. Recognizing and showing compassion for these changing seasons of life is the key to moving forward together as we grow stronger.
“No one should always be ‘strong’ or a guardian. Ideally, we should give everyone a vulnerable time and space to support each other,” suggests Uri.
We listen to each other.
It’s easier than you think. As Uri explains, “You shouldn’t just wait for your turn to speak or give unsolicited advice.” “Strong relationships involve space for each other and serious listening.”
If you want to hear better, ask your partner to summarize what he just said and then make sure it accurately reflects the partner’s experience. An example of this is: “I seem to be frustrated because I think I am not doing my chores. Am I right?”
You help each other dream.
“A great partner sees you not only as who you are, but also who you can be and who you want to be,” explains Uri. “They support you and inspire you to make your dreams come true.”
Some people are afraid to continue a relationship for fear that continuing it could lead them astray or delay their dreams. Unreachable Heights A positive relationship will push and elevate you because you can see inside of yourself that you cannot see for yourself. There is a saying, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”
You grow together. “Relationships are not static,” Yuuri adds. “The people in it must also change over time as they grow and change. What does your partner need now? What does your partner need from you?
The person you marry will not be the same in 10 or 20 years, neither will you. Each person’s active participation in a relationship is critical to the life of the relationship, but requires constant reinvestment of time, energy and love. Set up monthly or annual check-ins to make sure you’re on the same wave and make sure the relationship benefits both of you. This way, you can correct your contempt and resentment before they become irreversibly torn.
Yuri emphasizes that “great relationships are made, not discovered.” “It’s about making every effort to build and maintain great relationships.”
