The most consistent and reliable relationship you have is the one with yourself. The confidence, love, and value you place in yourself will impact the people surrounding you. Someone who is healthy within themselves can recognize the need for boundaries. Not to mention active listening, honesty and respect, and communication within any relationship.

All relationships require time, energy, and effort to create a solid foundation and establish and maintain a deepening connection. Trials and tribulations arise, as do rough patches, whether having a run-in with a difficult relative, a misunderstanding with your best friend, or a spousal disagreement. The fact that you come from each of those rough spots stronger with the relationship intact shows the value the other person has for you and you for them and that your coping mechanisms are on the spot. Let's look at some ways to ensure a healthy relationship.

Open communication

Communication is the key to a thriving relationship. Each person has their own style of talking through conflicts as they arise. It's essential to learn the way the other person communicates. One of the priorities when you sit down to resolve an issue, is that there be no distractions or interruptions.

That means devices are put away out of reach. It also means that no one takes the privilege of shutting down with silent moods or avoiding conflict. As uncomfortable as it might be, running away only prolongs an inevitable conversation and will make it more difficult.

The idea is that each person approaches the discussion without becoming emotional to avoid irrational comments but, instead, with a calm mindset, ready to find a solution. That shows respect for the other person and appreciation for what they have to say.

Being honest is one of the optimum ways to maintain healthy relationships

If this is someone you're just meeting, be authentic with the individual and if you've had some tough experiences, share them. If this affects a romantic partner, they will show empathy for your situation. That compassion will draw you closer together and create a deeper connection.

When telling your history, you should highlight triggers since these are likely areas in your life you might not be particularly proud of. That will allow new friends, romantic partners, and even long-lost relatives the opportunity to respect those boundaries. In the process it will help you rid yourself of the hidden shame you could have been shouldering.

It's an opportunity to develop a better, healthier bond while reestablishing self-worth and self-love.

Healthy boundaries

With technology as it is, we can track other people, spy on our partners, and break every personal confidence or privacy individuals could possibly believe they have; how dire is that? In any healthy relationship, people spend a reasonable amount of time together but then they each go off and enjoy individual time apart, with other friends, alone, or with their significant other.

For most relationships, these sorts of boundaries are usually unspoken but are in place for the greatest good of the bond. Perhaps you check up on your friend to see who else they see when they're not with you or look through a romantic partner's phone when they're unaware. But, unfortunately, stepping outside those invisible lines could cause permanent damage.

Regardless of the scope of the relationship, other people should be able to trust that you'll respect not only the boundaries you have as friends, family, or partners but their privacy. When you break anyone's trust, regardless of the closeness that you share, a wedge is created that makes coming back together as you were before virtually impossible.

Being Supportive: A key way to maintain healthy relationships

A support network is vital for a person's overall mental well-being. Whether there's a loss or a win, everyone needs people to be there as their cheerleaders or shoulders to guide them through whatever emotions they're experiencing.

If you're unsure whether it's okay to chase dreams or it's wiser to be responsible, following the path that's expected of you, your social circle will be there, motivating and encouraging you to go after what it is you desire in life.

They will tell you that you can have it all and more. These people build you up and help you see yourself bigger and better than you see yourself. And when you come out on top, they're the ones waiting with the cake. But if you have a traumatic loss, they're also the ones holding the tissue.

Empathy

The act of listening to another person and genuinely understanding their feelings can take some time learning and spending time with those other people, really getting to know them.

It's also a specific skill to learn to actively listen to what another person is saying, hear the words, and pay attention without other thoughts roaming through your brain, like what you might need to say next in response.

When someone has had a particularly bad day or maybe experienced a loss, having close friends, a romantic partner or even a special relative exhibiting empathy in a time of need is essential. Whenever people can be empathetic to each other's circumstances, that speaks to relationships health.

Final Thought

No relationship is without flaws. However, the problems, conflicts, and disagreements will not define how you perceive the people in your social circle. Instead, how you handle these issues will express the health and well-being of each of these relationships.

No one should approach a conversation when they're emotional. Instead, it's wise to take a step back, gather your thoughts, and come back together when everyone is rational and calm.

That allows a clear head and the ability to work towards a resolution that's beneficial for each person, satisfying everyone's needs.

When you use adequate tools like the many presented here, you're bound to show the other person that you carry optimum respect and appreciation for them and their role in your life.

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