You know that feeling when you see a couple and think, “These are perfect!”
It’s easy to be even a little jealous of them and think how lucky they are.
But relationships don’t just happen that way.
They require a lot of effort, time and patience from both sides of the relationship.
Behind every happy couple and their healthy relationship is a lot of effort and hard work that has gone into getting to this point.
A happy and fulfilling relationship can improve your quality of life.
It’s like it spills over into all other areas, making everything look a little brighter and better.
But how do you know if the relationship you’re in is really right and healthy for you?
Here are 16 signs the relationship is healthy.
1. Mutual respect
A clear sign of a healthy relationship is the presence of mutual respect.
Someone who truly loves you will never do anything against your free will.
You will feel respected and like you both have equal rights in the relationship.
Even though there will be many situations where you disagree with your partner and don’t really understand where they are coming from, respect is essential to get through this stage.
It is the most important basis for every relationship you will have in your life.
2. Compassion
Compassion is important in any relationship, especially when there is a dispute.
It is inevitable that there will be times when people disagree.
People who love each other in a healthy way won’t let their anger rob them of compassion.
Even if you can’t fully understand what your partner is going through, compassion will bring you both a little closer.
3. Agree to disagree
Disagreements happen in any relationship and there is no way to avoid them.
In a healthy dynamic, partners will never allow disagreements to escalate into ugly fights.
Both of you are fighting the problem, not each other.
It’s important to respect each other’s feelings, even when you disagree.
4. Willingness to work
Some people say soulmates don’t exist – they are created.
What keeps a relationship alive is the willingness of both partners to give their all.
Choosing each other won’t always be easy.
There can be many challenges along the way, difficult living conditions, other people, rainy days…
But in the end, healthy love also means commitment.
5. Be yourself
When you are with the person you love, you feel free.
You’re not being crushed and you can be who you are without feeling like someone is trying to change you.
There is no fear in your heart when you want to open up to your partner.
Instead, you feel fully seen, loved, and accepted.
6. Quarrels in the relationship
You might think that the perfect couple never fights, but that’s not true.
If you avoid arguments, chances are you will build up a lot of anger and resentment towards your partner.
This will not end well because you will feel like you are about to explode and you risk doing a lot of damage to your relationship.
Fighting is perfectly normal, even in healthy relationships.
Just don’t let them happen too often or get out of hand.
7. Freedom to breathe
A healthy relationship gives you space to be who you are.
You still have a lot of freedom to pursue your hobbies and be your own person.
These healthy boundaries are important in any relationship.
8. Language of love
Not everyone shows love and affection in the same way.
We all have different ideas about how we want to show our affection.
Sometimes that doesn’t align with how our partner gives or receives love.
That’s why it’s important to understand what your partner’s love language is.
While you may have a love language that you prefer to receive, it’s important to know how your partner would like to be loved.
9. Share more
When you are in a healthy relationship, you share a lot with your partner.
That means you tell him what you think and feel, but also what bothers you.
You feel free to share memories from your past and new goals for the future.
Ultimately, building a meaningful, healthy relationship means sharing your life together.
10. Recognition
When you truly love someone, you fully accept that person.
You don’t have to be in love with every part of your partner’s character.
But you should be open and accept the person in front of you, not just the idea of how you would like them to be.
You accept his weaknesses, his virtues, his family and his friends.
Even all the little habits that bother you, you accept over time.
11. Excitement for the other
In a healthy relationship, your partner is the biggest cheerleader you have.
No matter what new challenge you face or what you achieve, a partner who supports you will always be there and say they are proud of you.
He will always be by your side even when you fail.
12. Different Interests
It’s healthy to have different interests in a relationship.
You’re allowed to be your own person and have hobbies that don’t coincide with your partner’s.
When the partnership is safe and secure, you feel comfortable doing things with other people.
13. Open to feedback
In order to build a healthy relationship, you have to be open to feedback.
It’s not always nice to hear something negative about ourselves or our actions, but it’s important so we can become better people and ultimately better partners.
It’s important in a healthy relationship to have open communication where you can share and receive feedback.
14. Non-verbal cues
In a healthy relationship, you know your partner like the palm of your hand.
You can even read it clearly through non-verbal communication.
All it takes is one look at your partner’s face and you know what he’s thinking.
15. Forgive
Everyone makes mistakes and nobody is perfect.
No matter how healthy and good your relationship is, your partner will inevitably do something that hurts or disappoints you.
It is important that you learn to forgive and accept forgiveness in such situations.
Don’t constantly dwell on the past and bring up the same old topic from the past over and over again.
16. Reconciliation
No matter how well you get along, you’re still two different people.
You have different goals, wants, and needs, and sometimes that gets in the way of what the other person in the relationship wants.
In such moments it is important to find a middle ground and compromise.
In a healthy relationship, partners don’t blame each other when they disagree.
