10 Proven Ways to Maintain a Healthy Relationship
Now that you have a healthy relationship, then what’s next? Building healthy relationships is important. It improves your mood, your mental health and your wellbeing. Just like building it, maintaining healthy relationships is also important. Yes, it takes a lot of time and commitment. No relationship is perfect, but it is important that it brings you more happiness than sadness. Here’s 10 proven ways to maintain a healthy relationship.
1. Listen attentively
The first way of 10 proven ways to maintain a healthy relationship, is listen attentively. It seems easy until you try it. It’s not just talking about your day, but it’s more like making sure your partner knows that you genuinely care about what’s going on in their day, week and lives. Stay in the moment by making eye contact, putting your phone away or turning off the TV and ask follow-up questions about what someone is sharing with you. Remember things they have told you recently and ask about those things in the future. Taking the time to intently listen to your partner can have a profoundly positive impact on closeness and connection.
If your partner initiates a conversation, whenever possible, stop what you are doing and make eye contact with this person you once adored. As they share their thoughts and feelings with you, truly focus on what they have to say. Remind yourself that since what they are saying feels important enough for them to share with you, they deserve your undivided attention. If the timing is not good for you, respectfully tell them, "I really want to hear what you have to say but I need a few minutes to (fill in the blank with your need) in order to be able to give you my full attention. Would that be okay?" Then be sure to keep your promise to return to the conversation and listen attentively.
2. Be clear about what you want
One way to identify an unhealthy relationship is if you feel afraid to speak your mind. Draw confidence in the relationship you have built to be open and honest with the other person. If decisions are being made that go against your preferences or values, be vocal and truthful about your feelings. When you do this, it helps avoid arguments and lingering negativity in the future and allows the other person to better understand your perspective.
3. Be honest
This is an essential part of communication. Healthy relationships involve two people who are completely honest about how they feel and what they’re thinking – with themselves and each other.
4. Saying sorry
Sometimes, we’re ashamed to say sorry. But, saying sorry if you make mistakes that make your partner hurt is really important as it helps heal relationship breakdowns that inevitably occur.
5. Be affectionate and show appreciation
Relationships can become routine after a while. Make special time together and continue to show your affection. And don’t forget to show your appreciation. We all know thank you is one of the most powerful words. Gratitude is one of the most important positive emotions for thriving relationships. Acknowledging the things your partner does is one of the easiest ways to keep the spark alive. You can start by saying thank you for something that your partner usually does. For example, “Thank you for picking me up” “Thank you for accompanying me to buy groceries”, etc.
6. Create Healthy Boundaries
This does not mean it’s the first step of growing apart, but it’s just a little space for you and your partner to do your personal hobbies, goals and desires and don’t lose the importance of creating joy and time for yourself. It is healthy to create balance by having a night out with friends without your partner or dedicating a morning or weekend activity for your own time. Being in a relationship does not mean you lose being your own person.
7. Make the time
Everybody is busy. But there is a lot more to life than work. Yes, it’s not easy to balance love life, work, family, and friends but you absolutely can do that! You can start by prioritizing your love life and work on that. Or start making daily plans. This daily planning would also ensure that you would have time set aside for your love life every day. Start blocking out time when you are off duty.
8. Make plans for the future
By making plans for the future together, you both show you are in the relationship for the long term.
9. It’s okay to be vulnerable
When you’re open and honest in a relationship, it’s okay being vulnerable. It means you trust your partner to support you.
10. Being happy with yourself
Feeling good about yourself allows you to give the best to your relationships. Taking time to do what you enjoy can help. Healthy friendships maintain your happiness and self-esteem, so it is important that you stay in touch with your friends when you are in a relationship. Remember that your partner is not the only person in your life. And of course it’s not necessary to do everything together. Sometimes you spend your weekend with your girlfriends and sometimes he has a boys night.
Those are the 10 proven ways to maintain a healthy relationship. Remember that you deserve healthy love. Remember that you deserve to feel adored, respected, companionship, and forever with someone that makes you feel better every day.
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