6 Dimensions of Health: Healthy Relationships

Relationships. If you’re reading this, you’re in one. Whether it’s with a lover, a friend, a parent, a cousin, your kids or your dog, you’ve got a relationship that you work to sustain. So, how does these relationships affect your overall health?

What is a Healthy Relationship?

I love you + you love me = healthy relationship. Right? Wrong! As humans, we have a need to connect with others. To bond, to find common ground and feel less alone in this busy, crazy world. We have a strong yearning to love and be loved in return.  But in order to do so, we must work to ensure that both parties are happy, fulfilled and healthy.

Why Do You Need Healthy Relationships?

We need healthy relationships in our lives to fill gaps, to share success, to celebrate, to relate to another beating heart and of course, to share your life with. Not only does a healthy relationship help to avoid loneliness, it

If a relationship is causing you pain in some way it will likely hurt your mental health and your physical health. Your mental health can be triggered through low self-esteem, depression, harmed emotional health and anxiety. Your physical health can also negatively impact your stress levels, sleep,  blood pressure, obesity and cardiovascular disease. In addition, if you’re in an unhealthy relationship, your immune system will become suppressed, increasing your risk for an unhealthy mind and body.

The 7 Things You Need For A Healthy Relationship

A healthy relationship will have healthy, well-rounded communication and healthy, sustainable boundaries. Yes, even your relationship with your children and partner needs to have boundaries.

Characteristics of a Healthy Relationship

Self-love

Simply put, to love another, you must first love yourself.

Communication

Open and honest communication is key in every relationship. If you’re hiding something or your partner/friend/mom/brother is, it will cause pressure on both parties.

Boundaries

Maybe for one relationship it’s okay to read your texts, but another it’s likely not okay. Set up clear boundaries so you know what is triggering to another and what’s not.

Respect

If you don’t respect the other person in the relationship, it’s unlikely they’ll respect you or your needs.

Trust

Trusting the other party in your relationship is key. If not, you’ll be questioning everything they do and say, which can cause a huge strain on your mental health.

Compromise

All relationships are ying and yang. If you love and respect the other person, you’ll compromise to meet their needs and your own. Just remember, too much compromise from one party can lead you down a negative path.

Commitment

Be all the way in or all the way out. A half compromise is the same as no compromise.

The bottom line in any relationship is that you feel good about it. If a relationship doesn’t make you feel good, happy or sustained, it’s likely unhealthy.

Take our Personality Stress Profile to find out how to zone in on relieving stress in relationships. 

Intimate relationships can set off the fight/flight/freeze response, preventing productive conversations and problem-solving. One or both partners can wear TouchPoints to stay calm during difficult talks.

Learn more about the Six Dimensions of Health >>>