Characteristics that matter most for maintaining a healthy relationship
Love – Show your partner you love them through physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, and acts of service and gifts.
Compromise – So many couples believe that avoiding or dismissing disagreements is key to maintaining a happy relationship. In reality it’s not about avoiding disagreements, it is more about being able to put your heads together and solving the issue which most likely will call for some level of compromise. If you can become good at compromising, there will be no winners or losers because you are working together toward common goals. Knowing that you can face obstacles together and allowing for flexibility keeps a relationship healthy.
Trust – Trust is the most important thing in any relationship. It can take years to build and sometimes only a second to break. It’s more than just sexual fidelity, it’s innermost thoughts, fears and vulnerabilities. In a healthy relationship, there must be trust that both participants can share their innermost thoughts and that it won’t be used against them in future disagreements.
Sense of Humor – When partners can laugh about their own idiosyncrasies, it becomes much easier to communicate what they want from each other without creating discourse. Laughing at ourselves instead of being judgmental makes the journey much more entertaining.
Compassion – Compassion toward your partner allows him/her to feel respected, appreciated and cared for and it fuels your good connection. Put yourself in your partners shoes. Sometimes we may say or do the wrong thing. Give it some thought and forgive your partners mistakes, especially the small stuff. This will help you to keep your relationship on track.
Communication – good communication is one of the keys to maintaining a healthy relationship. How is one to know what their partner is thinking if there is no communication. Most arguments or disagreements between couples generally stem from a lack of communication. Be a good listener and always give your partner full attention.
Intimacy – No matter how much life gets in the way, make time for intimacy between you and your partner. Your level of intimacy with your partner directly corresponds with your success as a couple. Intimacy is the feeling of belonging and being loved. It’s the feeling of being known and understood. It’s the feeling of being accepted and appreciated. When you are being intimate with your partner and you are fully there in the moment (not far off in your thoughts) a deep bond can be built and your relationship will flourish. Be present, freely giving your partner the gift of your full focus. Be there for them in a way that’s deeper than just being physically present.
Respect – The one quality that consistently helps couples through adversity is mutual respect. Seeing things from your partners point of view when you are in a disagreement will help you reach a positive outcome.
Friendship – Couples who are good friends know each other well, give each other the benefit of the doubt and are fond of one another. When you take the time to strengthen your friendship, you will reap the rewards in the long run. Making friendship a priority will help you overcome many obstacles that come your way.