How to build a healthy relationship?

 A romantic relationship will give you happiness, lower stress, and improve overall health and wellness. Each relationship is different, yet they all go through good and bad times. Whether your relationship has just started or seen years of togetherness, you can always take steps to build a healthy relationship.

Here we bring some healthy relationship tips that will help to maintain and strengthen your relationship.

Spend time together

Memories of your dating days are mostly about looking and talking to each other. Yet with the passage of time and a busy schedule, the face-to-face interaction reduces significantly. But the emotional cue of being loved can be conveyed only in person. Building healthy relationships requires some dedicated time daily (when you are free of electronic devices and other problems), to connect with your spouse/partner. Use this time to do something together – it could be a walk, a common hobby, or enjoying a cup of coffee. You can also do a new activity together to rekindle the romance of the initial phase of your relationship. 

Communication is key to a healthy relationship

Communication will keep you emotionally connected to your relationship. Both the partners feel safe and happy when the needs are spelled out. Expressing needs directly prevents misunderstandings, resentments, and frustrations due to wrong guessing. While verbal communication is important, the non-verbal cues like eye contact, tone, nods, gestures, and postures also convey a lot in a relationship. When you send positive nonverbal cues, your partner feels loved, just like when you feel loved and happy on receiving positive emotional cues from your partner. Good listening skill is equally important as it makes your spouse feel valued and understood. Communication is one of the healthy relationship tips given by most relationship counselors.

Affectionate physical intimacy

Human beings thrive on touch. Several studies have shown the importance of touch in developing attachment and bonding in humans. When we talk of physical intimacy it’s not just about sex but includes other types of affectionate touch like holding hands and giving hugs or kisses. However, be mindful of what your partner likes. It’s vital for couples to keep their physical intimacy alive while building healthy relationships. Assign some specific time to the relationship through date night or spend an hour during the day, when you can just hold hands in calm, or sit and talk about the day.

Make it a win-win-relationship

A healthy relationship is a give and takes for both partners. It’s built on a compromise where each partner knows about the wants and desires of the other partner. If only one partner gives in to the needs of the other, it will lead to resentment and anger. Avoid an attitude of “winning” at all costs due to childhood experience or accumulated resentment in your relationship. Learn to resolve conflicts in a respectful manner – the viewpoint of both partners is important. While resolving conflict remember that it’s not about winning but strengthening your relationship. Focus on the issue at hand and avoid dragging old issues into a new conflict. And if things seem unworkable it's best to let go and move on.

Expect good and bad times

The journey to building healthy relationships is filled with ups and downs. Death of a family member, job loss, or health issues is likely to stress a partner and the other partner may find it difficult to relate to the problem. Each individual has a different coping mechanism during stress, it may lead to anger and frustrations. Remember not to vent your stress on your partner as it eventually poisons the relationship. Find solutions together, rather than forcing it on your better half. Be flexible, adapt to changes, and grow together by facing the good and bad times with your partner.

 

The bottom line

Maintain and strengthen your relationship by working on it together. Follow the healthy relationship tips discussed in this article to resolve conflicts or to rekindle your experience of falling in love. If you feel that the relationship needs outside help, reach out to a couples counselor. And if your differences are irreconcilable be brave enough to move on respectfully.

............................................................................................................................................................