by AFURE ADAH, CSU Public Relations Assistant
Living a healthy lifestyle is super important. Exercising, and eating healthy are the main things people think about when talking about a healthy lifestyle, but maintaining healthy relationships is a big part of that too.
Healthy relationships are the right and responsibility of everyone involved, and they have certain characteristics. Here are some that you should expect:
- Mutual respect. Respect means that each person values who the other is, and understands the other person’s boundaries.
- Trust. Partners or friends should place trust in each other and give each other the benefit of the doubt.
- Honesty. Honesty builds trust and strengthens relationships.
- Compromise. In relationships, each person does not always get his or her way. Each should acknowledge different points of view and be willing to give and take.
- Individuality. Neither person should have to compromise who he/she is, and his/her identity should not be based on the other’s. Each should continue seeing his or her other friends and should continue doing the things he/she loves. Each should be supportive of his/her partner or friend wanting to pursue new hobbies or make new friends.
- Good communication. Each person should speak honestly and openly to avoid miscommunication. If one person needs to sort out his or her feelings first, the other partner should respect those wishes and wait until he or she is ready to talk.
- Anger control. We all get angry, but how we express it can affect our relationships with others. Anger can be handled in healthy ways such as taking a deep breath, counting to ten, or talking it out.
- Fighting fair. Everyone argues at some point, but those who are fair, stick to the subject, and avoid insults are more likely to come up with a possible solution. Partners and friends should take a short break away from each other if the discussion gets too heated.
- Problem solving. Dating partners can learn to solve problems and identify new solutions by breaking a problem into small parts or by talking through the situation.
- Understanding. Each person should take time to understand what the other might be feeling.
- Healthy sexual relationship. Dating partners engage in a sexual relationship that both are comfortable with, and neither partner feels pressured or forced to engage in sexual activity that is outside his or her comfort zone or without consent.
Know these characteristics so you can maintain healthy relationships as well as discern which relationships might not be so healthy.
