What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like

Healthy relationship meaning

The meaning of a healthy relationship is typically one that’s centered around trust, honesty, and respect. Couples in healthy relationships feel safe and supported and enjoy open communication, safe in the knowledge that their thoughts and feelings are important and appreciated. They also make decisions together, compromising where necessary, and while maintaining independent identities.

I like to remind readers that the qualities of a healthy relationship aren’t necessarily the same for every couple. You’ll likely find that what works for your partnership is somewhat different from what works for others. However, we usually find some key traits, like those mentioned above, are common in healthy relationships, and the biggest red flags—such as jealousy and dishonesty—aren’t an issue.

Importance of relational health

Relational health is critical to our mental and emotional well-being. If you choose to be in a romantic relationship, ensuring it’s a happy and healthy one can have many benefits, like reducing stress, improving mood and motivation, and providing comfort and support. Healthy relationship characteristics can even lead to a longer life. On the other hand, bad relationships usually have an adverse impact on us.

When we find ourselves with partners who aren’t a good match, we’ll often feel unfulfilled and unhappy, and we may experience anxiety and depression. In unhealthy relationships, we also find that one or both parties lose trust in each other and start to become suspicious. This can lead to a stalking girlfriend or boyfriend who spies on their partner to find out where they are and who they’re with.

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Signs you’re in a healthy relationship

Whether you’ve just started dating someone or you’ve been with them for a while, you might be wondering, what does a healthy relationship look like? Green flags in a relationship include a foundation of trust and respect, as well as open communication, a desire to spend time together, shared interests and values, and a sense of being part of a strong unit.

These are the signs we typically see, we’re looking for the qualities of a healthy relationship:

1. Feel safe and secure
2. You can disagree without fear
3. You both invest effort and commitment
4. Support each other’s goals
5. Resolve conflicts constructively
6. Maintain your individual identity
7. You show appreciation and gratitude regularly.

1. Feel safe and secure

One key healthy relationship characteristic we see is that both parties feel safe and secure around one another—not just when they’re together but also when they’re not. They show kindness and love to each other, and neither has concerns that they could get hurt. They enjoy each other’s company and don’t dread spending time together, and when they’re apart, they can trust each other completely.

Feeling safe with your partner is particularly important during intimacy. Loving couples respect each other’s boundaries and don’t make each other feel vulnerable or uncomfortable.

2. You can disagree without fear

Even the happiest relationships will sometimes see disagreements and difficult times. In a healthy partnership, couples can express their feelings and opinions without being ignored, and without fear that their partner will react badly or lash out at them. Even when they don’t agree, they acknowledge how their partner feels, and if they can’t come to a compromise, they’ll agree to disagree and move on together.

3. You both invest effort and commitment

We’ve found that a one-sided relationship is rarely a happy or successful one. Both parties need to invest equal amounts of time and effort while setting realistic standards for one another. It’s normal and essential that everyone has time to see friends and enjoy hobbies outside of the relationship, but if you feel like you’re the only one who makes an effort or wants to spend time together, that’s a red flag.

If you’re unsure whether your partner is willing to commit as much as you are, relationship psychology experts suggest first having a discussion with them to see how they feel about your concerns, and to gauge their desire to spend time together. You can also experiment with spending more time apart to see if they make an effort to be with you, or if they’re comfortable when left alone to do their own thing.

4. Support each other’s goals

We all have our own interests and goals, and while they may change somewhat when we get into a serious relationship, we shouldn’t completely ignore or dismiss them. In a healthy relationship, couples encourage and support each other to chase their dreams and achieve their goals, and give them space when they need it. Our interests won’t always align with our partners, and that’s perfectly fine.

5. Resolve conflicts constructively

We’ve all been in situations where we have conflicts or arguments with someone we love, whether it’s a close friend, a relative, or a romantic partner. It’s normal in a healthy relationship. What’s important is that you communicate effectively, even when you may not feel like it, and you work together to find resolutions and make compromises that allow you to move forward happily.

Tell your partner how you feel and make your points, but also listen to and respect theirs, and don’t just turn your back and avoid the situation. Enduring these tough times together is often what makes healthy relationships so strong.

6. Maintain your individual identity

It’s easy when you get into a new partnership to devote a little too much time and effort to that person while neglecting other interests and relationships. We often see new couples become so wrapped up in each other that they push away others who mean a lot to them. It’s important to maintain your identity when in a relationship and to continue devoting time to your hobbies and friendships.

If you feel like your partner makes it difficult for you to enjoy time away from them, or they get jealous when you spend time with friends, that’s a red flag. Know the signs of a stalker boyfriend or girlfriend, and if it seems like you’re unable to be who you are, this indicates that it’s not the right relationship for you.

7. You show appreciation and gratitude regularly

The only way we can enjoy a successful relationship is if we show appreciation and gratitude to our partner, and they show it back. It’s crucial to be kind, to show love and affection, and to have respect for each other—even when you’re arguing or you don’t see eye-to-eye.

How to deal with unhealthy relationships

When you feel like you’re in an unhealthy or toxic relationship, you might choose to seek therapy or marriage guidance to find ways to improve it. A therapist can help both parties discover coping strategies and conflict resolution techniques and create a healthy foundation that you can build upon. If this is unsuccessful or you’re ready to move on, it’s critical to prioritize your safety first. Speak with friends and family, or seek professional help for yourself as you work toward a happy resolution.

Whatever path you take, it’s important not to settle for an unhealthy relationship, even when you still have feelings for your partner. It may seem like the easier option, and you may worry about potentially spending time on your own for a little while. But fixing or getting out of an unhealthy relationship is usually hugely beneficial to our mental health and overall well-being in the long run.

Conclusion

A healthy relationship typically contains some key traits, like happiness, trust, respect, and appreciation. Happy couples enjoy spending time together, find ways to work as a team, and aren’t afraid to share their thoughts and feelings with one another, even when they don’t align. We also find that in a healthy relationship, both parties support each other’s goals and maintain their individual identities.

If you’ve found yourself in an unhealthy or toxic relationship and you have concerns about your safety or privacy, we recommend downloading Clario Anti Spy, developed by Clario Tech, for your Android or iPhone. It helps you find and deal with spyware, tells you when someone tries to unlock your device, and provides essential tips for stepping up your protection against invasive apps.