How Do You Define a Healthy Relationship?
By Space Coast Daily // August 19, 2022
No matter where or when you grew up, your thoughts and feelings on relationships were formed by those around you. Whether that was your parents, grandparents, television shows, books, or a combination of all of these, you only know what you’ve experienced.
You may not realize that your relationships were unhealthy until you found a healthy one. And then it may have felt awkward because it is so different than what you are used to. However, healthy relationships are not always evident at first.
It is almost as likely that a healthy relationship could end with divorce at a Melbourne family lawyers office. Relationships evolve and change over time. Like a child or a plant, it grows and changes with care.
Basic Healthy Relationship Principles
There are several principles of healthy relationships, and a foundation built on trust is probably the first and most important element. Respect is the next principle that must be given to each person. Trust and respect are going to go hand-in-hand when building a healthy relationship with another person.
You must be able to trust someone before you can spend any amount of time with them, let alone offer your heart to that person. There must also be mutual respect between you and the other person. If you do not respect their values or ethics, it will be difficult to open yourself up to that person.
There should be fairness and equality in the relationship in all matters. If one person is doing all the “heavy lifting” then it will not last the test of time. One person cannot sustain a relationship with someone who is not going all in or at least meeting the other person halfway.
This goes beyond sharing chores and resources. Each person in a healthy relationship should be willing to help the other when they are struggling or has hit a rough patch. Stepping up to help with the hard things in life is part of being in a healthy relationship. One person alone cannot do all the bad or all the good within a partnership.
Being open and free to express your thoughts, dreams, fears, and anything that may be bothering you is all part of building a lasting connection with another person. If you feel as if you will not be heard, or worse, punished in some way for your thoughts and feelings then you are not in a healthy relationship.
Opposites Attract
You do not need to agree on everything to be connected to another person. You and the other person may be complete opposites on nearly everything, but you still have mutual respect for each other and that is what will keep your relationship healthy.
There are going to be times when you do not see eye-to-eye, and that is expected. But you will need to respect the other person’s opinions, thoughts, and feelings. Agreeing to disagree may be all you can do before moving on. You do not have to like everything the other person likes, but you will need to respect their option to have a different view from you.
