3 Components to a Healthy Relationship

Communication

Communication is key. Keeping open & healthy communication helps a relationship flow. You should be able to express yourself when you are happy, sad, or mad. If there are things you don’t like, talk things out by listening & understanding. An unhealthy relationship is seen as yelling, arguing, or being physically violent. Both partners should be able to talk about feelings openly without fearing negative consequences. If you are second-guessing communicating something with your partner, remember, think of the right time & place for you both to speak. No relationship is easy. This is a great time to learn things about yourself & the traits you aspire in a partner.

Be Yourself

You probably have your own unique ways of expressing yourself. When you are in a relationship, you can still spend time with people that you like, dress in ways you choose & participate in activities that make you happy. You and your partner may not always agree on certain things or have the same things in common & that’s okay. In a healthy relationship, you can turn to your partner for comfort & encouragement during hard times. It is important to have a partner that listens when you need to vent & compliments you in every way.

Boundaries

Setting boundaries is an important part of any relationship. A couple should talk about what they’re comfortable with, how often they will see each other, how far they want to get physical, etc. It’s easy to follow the crowd & get stuck in peer pressure. Set boundaries that fit YOUR relationship. Most importantly, in a healthy relationship, you should be setting boundaries that respect each other’s privacy. Yes, sharing things about each other is a good thing but you don’t have to open up & share information you don’t feel comfortable with. You are still allowed privacy in a relationship which means you don’t have to share passwords to social media accounts or your phone messages.