Traits of a Healthy Relationship

It’s totally normal to look at the world through rose-colored glasses in the early stages of a relationship. But for some people, those rose-colored glasses turn into blinders that keep them from seeing that a relationship isn’t as healthy as it should be. Here are some traits which can tell you whether you are in the healthy relationships.

• Trust and support each other. Support your partners’ goals in life, and respect their right to the feelings, opinions, friends, activities and interest. Partners value differences rather than use them to separate and cause conflict.
• Adopt effective communication skills. Those who are able to openly express their feelings in an emotionally safe environment typically deal with situations as they come up and avoid burying frustrations which always have a way of coming out at some point. Each is able to express their thoughts, feelings and needs without fear of being judged.
• Negotiation and fairness also can suggest the healthy relationship. Each is willing to compromise, accepting change, and seeking mutually satisfying solutions to conflict.

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• Be able to take responsibility for your behavior. Sometimes, once we’ve taken responsibility for all our own behavior, we can see clearly that our partners in the relationship are the ones who are acting out. But only when we take responsibility for our behavior, issues, and needs enough to trust that we are safe can we respond with number eleven.
• A healthy relationship is not a power struggle. The two of you don’t have to think the same way about things.
• A healthy relationship is not symbiotic. You do not have to feel the same way about all things.
• Use good conflict resolution skills. Conflict is an almost inevitable part of relationships, especially in relationships where the partners rely on each other and are emotionally close. They key to strengthening a relationship is not to avoid conflict, but to resolve it in a mutually satisfactory way. It is important, therefore, not to judge or blame, or to look for victory when a disagreement arises.
• In the healthy relationship, the partner enjoys each other’s company, and look for opportunities to socialize, play, and have fun together
• Talk and act in a way that promotes both partners’ feelings of safety in the relationship. Both should feel comfortable and safe in expressing him/herself and in engaging in activities.

Healthy relationships are characterized by respect, sharing and trust. They are based on the belief that both partners are equal, that the power and control in the relationship are equally shared. The aforementioned traits are the integral parts of the healthy relationship.

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