By Molly Jacob
Are you in a relationship and love, but aren’t sure whether it’s healthy or not? Or are you on the lookout for someone that can make you truly happy? It’s hard to get caught up in your own checklist about what makes your relationship a good one: your parents like him or her, you have fun going out with mutual friends, or you like living together. So, it’s time to take a step back and evaluate how well you treat each other and how much you value your relationship.
See what dating advice Cupid has to dole out about what all healthy relationships need!
1. Communication:
It’s an often-stated but important aspect of healthy relationships and love: communication is key. Without communication, you are just two strangers sharing the same bed. You need to not only communicate about what’s making you happy or troubling you in your relationship, but also about your life outside the relationship. Let your partner know what’s going on, what’s concerning you, and what’s on your mind!
2. Intimacy:
With every relationship, some alone and intimate time is important. You both need to show your love in a physical way, whether that is in the form of a massage after a long day or a much-needed cuddle session. Dating advice: don’t skimp out on this important alone time, even after a busy and crazy day full of kids, work, friends, and chores!
Related Link: Love Advice: 5 Signs You’re in a Lukewarm Relationship
3. Shared interests:
It could be that you both love to binge watch True Detective or workout together, but people in healthy relationships and love have shared hobbies. Find what you both have in common, even just a love of cooking, and spend your time together pursuing those interests!
4. Openness:If something’s bothering you, say it. If you’re concerned about your finances or some other aspect of your relationship, say it. Bottling up emotions and ideas that you know you should be talking to your significant other about can only lead to an explosion later on. Relationship advice: the topics you find most difficult to talk about are usually the topics you SHOULD spend time discussing with your sweetheart.
Related Link: Relationship Advice: 4 Reasons To Leave The Past In The Past
5. Love:
This may sound obvious, but every healthy relationship should have love. Not only should there be love, there should be expressions of love. This can be as simple as saying “I love you” once a day, but every relationship is different so make sure you find how YOU uniquely express your love.
6. Conflict:
This may sound counterintuitive (how can a relationship be healthy if you’re fighting?) but healthy couples won’t agree on everything. The fact that you two argue shows you care enough about your relationship to want to see it succeed. Relationship advice: instead of name-calling and bringing up irrelevant issues from the past, healthy conflict includes empathetic listening and understanding each other’s point of view.
7. Fun:
Life can be serious and difficult, so why not have fun in your relationship? Your partner is more than your spouse or girlfriend or boyfriend; they should be your best friend! Constantly find new adventures for you two to experience or ways to make menial tasks, such as doing the dishes together, fun. Life should be an enjoyable adventure with your partner by your side.
What other aspects do you find in your healthy relationships? Let us know by commenting below!
