What Is a Healthy Relationship?

In your opinion, what is a healthy relationship?

A few days ago, I saw goring graphic images on Facebook. It was a lifeless body of a woman who was brutally killed by her husband.

 

And what’s her offense again? Just because she told her hubby to stop cheating. That relationship is not only unhealthy, it’s toxic.

 

Unfortunately, the lady was a victim.

 

As individuals who exist unmistakably, varying in thoughts, opinions, values and a ton of other things that emphasizes the uniqueness of every single one of us, we tend to cultivate relationships with different goals in mind.

Goals like friendship goals, couple goals seem to surface every now and then, hence questions like:

What is a healthy relationship?

And since we all vary, we can have healthy relationships on our own terms?

Shouldn’t a healthy relationship be whatever you call it?

 

In recent times, stories of abuse like emotional, physical, and verbal — keeps coming up in relationships.

One can actually refer to the Gen-Zs as unfortunate because all these became so normalized in their era, one would think it’s a trend.

If it isn’t a toxic parent-child relationship, it is an abusive husband and wife relationship or a horrible girlfriend-boyfriend relationship.

All these unhealthy relationships lead to the same question “What is a healthy relationship?”

 

A healthy relationship is a relationship that is peaceful, joyful, lovely, and gives couples every reason to be happy.

Healthy relationships are vital for successful living given that human beings are social animals. It adds to the satisfaction of being alive.

 

Here are a few indications of what a healthy relationship should comprise or look like:

 

#1. Friendship

Don’t skip the friendship phase!

Yes. That is a warning. Resist the urge to dive right in, it doesn’t end so well.

This article is solely for couples, so the relationship we’re focusing on is a romantic relationship.

So, always remember that friendship is the bedrock of every relationship.

If as a parent you’re not friends with your child, you’ll end up missing out on the important part of parenting — the relationship.

It is the friendship that makes the child open to you even to tell you things like: “Mummy, my crush smiled at me today. . .”

And it is like that with every other relationship.

The friendship part is principal.

We all need somebody to talk to; somebody to gossip with; somebody to gist and who else would fit the shoe other than a friend? And if this friend now doubles as the partner?

Sounds cool, right?

Every healthy relationship requires true friendship. It is said that partners who act as friends, have a stronger relationship, and stay together for a long time.

 

Read Also: How Long Should You Date Before Marriage

 

#2.   Adequate Communication

A healthy relationship is a relationship in which you can express yourself sincerely, not having to suppress or bury how you feel out of fear of being misunderstood or misinterpreted.

 

Communication is a salient ingredient for a healthy relationship.

In a healthy relationship, you both confront emotions like hurt and anger head-on.

Adequate communication entails that you and your partner speak the same language emotionally and intellectually.

You listen to each other empathically and understand each other.

In a healthy relationship, neither you nor your partner is timid, shy, or scared about expressing themselves when required.

 

#3. Individuality

This is another constituent of a healthy relationship.

In simple terms, you are permitted to exist as yourself.

Your partner will be more like “You woke up like this? That’s not a problem”

However, this doesn’t excuse our bad habits. It is expected that you work on yourself without making excuses with the above point against your partner.

In a healthy relationship, neither you nor your partner should have to compromise who he/she is, and your identity should not be based on a partner’s, and the same is applicable to your partner.

You are entitled to your choice of friends and definition of fun. Each should be supportive of his/her partner wanting to pursue new interests or make new friends.

 

4. Trust, Honesty & Openness

These should be explained individually as different points but we’re going to combine them.

 

If you’re still curious and asking “What is a healthy relationship?”

A healthy relationship is a relationship full of trust with honesty and openness as toppings.

Imagine trusting an untrustworthy person?

Horrifying, right?

 

Trust for one’s partner is an essential ingredient for a healthy relationship. Of course, honesty and openness are also part of the ingredients.

It is said that without trust there cannot be a healthy relationship. Trust is the most important determinant of a healthy or unhealthy relationship. It is required of you to trust and be open to your partner and likewise your partner.

 

You ought to give other reasons to trust each other and that is where honesty & openness comes in.

Trust cannot happen if the person in question is not trustworthy.

If you’re not honest with each other even with the tiniest detail, achieving trust will be difficult.

A healthy requires that you stay honest and open to your partner. This creates an atmosphere of trust because your partner is convinced that your words and actions are consistent.

5. Support

 

This is another unmistakable indicator that you are in a healthy relationship. If your partner supports your individual life outside the relationship, you are likely to find it sweet.

 

Imagine your partner driving you to your best friend’s apartment because you have a girl’s time out.

Sweet, right?

 

It is necessary in a healthy relationship that you and your partner support each other’s goals and dreams in life.

 

Relationships require constant work and you and your partner need to be willing and intentional about working together, helping each other achieve their goals, generating innovative ideas together, and essentially growing in love together.

Your partner should advise, work, support, and help you reach the goals you want and the ambitions you are aiming in your life while you do the same for him/her.

 

In a healthy relationship, your partner doesn’t just accept you for who you are, he or she accepts and supports your lifestyle, friends, and family, and most importantly, your goals and ambitions.

 

Every point mentioned above is a key component of a healthy which answers the question “What is a healthy relationship?”

A healthy relationship is the total sum of every essential indicator mentioned above.