10 Signs of a Healthy Relationship

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What does a healthy relationship look like? Well, you’ve probably heard before that ‘every relationship is different.’ And while it may be tempting to look at other relationships around you and compare theirs to your own, we know that comparing and contrasting our relationships (let alone, ourselves) is not necessarily healthy. 

So how are we supposed to know what a healthy relationship looks like? What does a healthy love look like? 

The answer may not always be straightforward or readily apparent, but there are signs to look for in a healthy relationship. 

So whether you’re new to relationships altogether, or have had bad luck with previous relationships in the past, or you’re just trying to build a healthy relationship with your current partner, here are some telling signs of what a healthy relationship should look like.  

10 Signs of a Healthy Relationship

1. A healthy relationship is an equal partnership. Both partners reciprocate in a healthy relationship. While they both have different roles, both roles are equally important, and both roles are equally respected by both partners.  No single partner is less than or greater than the other. 

2. A healthy love is grounded in trust. A healthy relationship is fundamentally built on trust. This means both partners do not question or doubt the other’s motives, and trusts that both of them will always do right by each other. 

3. A good, healthy relationship means both partners take each other seriously, while still making time for fun. It’s important to take a relationship seriously, but not seriously enough to where fun is never had. Both partners in a healthy relationship recognize that having fun is essential for the relationship to survive, so that in times of hardship, they can fall back on those shared memories, or create new ones.

4. There is no room for jealousy in a healthy relationship. When both partners are healthily in love, they know that jealousy erodes trust, and without trust, the relationship cannot survive. 

5. A healthy love means both partners are each other’s biggest fans. Both partners are each other’s primary cheerleader. There is no bigger fan than their partner in the relationship. 

6. A healthy relationship knows how to forgive. A healthy love doesn’t hold grudges, and always finds a way to forgive and move forward. 

7. A healthy relationship encourages mutual growth. Both partners should never stop growing together in a healthy relationship. This means encouraging each other to be the best versions of their selves, while still setting personal goals and striving to meet them.

8. A healthy relationship focuses on shared values. Disagreements are bound to happen even in the healthiest of relationships. However, a healthy relationship knows that despite minor disagreements, the two partners can always return to a common goal based on shared values. 

9. A healthy relationship prioritizes communication. Honest and consistent communication is non-negotiable in a healthy relationship, and both partners recognize this.

10. A healthy love shows empathy. Being able to put oneself in the other’s shoes in a relationship will go far in not only being able to understand each other and communicate more effectively, but also in helping to resolve conflicts. Healthy relationships value empathy, and both partners make every effort to espouse this value.

For more signs of a healthy relationship, read this.