You’ve probably heard the statistic that about 50% of marriages end in divorce.
If you’re in a marriage or even just dating someone, you may be wondering if that will be your relationship that ends in divorce. You may also be wondering how you can prevent a marriage from going that route – or even a relationship from going downhill as well!
Well, to start out, you should follow these healthy relationship tips to make sure your relationship is on the right path. The more you make sure of that, the better off you’ll be. So what are you waiting for…start reading this healthy relationship guide!
1. Communicate Always
We are sure you’ve heard that you should always communicate and that communication is key. This couldn’t be more true for relationships. Without communication, problems will almost always arise.
In fact, lack of communication is one of the leading causes of divorce.
For instance, if you get upset at your partner for doing something and don’t communicate it, how are they going to know that you were ever upset? However, you may feel that they should know and when they do it again, your frustration and resentment only grow.
As this continues to occur without communicating in the proper way, problems will only get bigger and bigger. There is no discussion about values, expectations, or frustrations so the other partner can never fix anything they are doing. It’s unfair to expect a lot from a partner without communicating.
However, there’s more to communicating than just your voice. You also communicate nonverbally through your language, tone of voice, and body language. That’s why communicating in person is super important, and text messages and phone calls should be avoided as much as possible (although this isn’t always possible).
2. Respect Boundaries
Another important aspect of a healthy relationship is respecting the boundaries of the other person. If someone tells you that they like this or that or need this or that, it’s important to respect that. When you don’t respect boundaries, this can become overwhelming for the other person as well as overbearing at some points.
So what are typical boundaries that you might set in a relationship? Here are a few:
- Wanting some alone time on Sundays to do a typical ‘you’ activity like going on a walk, running errands, reading a book, or playing video games
- Giving space to process information after discussing and communicating before expecting a response (some people need more time to think things through)
- Not wanting a TV in the bedroom
These are just a few examples of what setting boundaries may look like, but there are many other ways to set boundaries as well! But when someone does this, the boundaries need to be respected by your partner. That is what ensures that you have a healthy relationship.
3. Arguing Isn’t Always Bad
There have probably been times throughout your life when you’ve been told that arguing is bad. That is not true, though. Arguing can be good as long as that is constructive.
The most important takeaway from this healthy relationship is to know how to argue. Arguing can often lead to constructive conversations that can help move the relationship forward. To do this, physical closeness actually helps.
That means holding hands, sitting really close together, and talking in person can help make arguments more productive rather than get emotionally heated.
4. Always Make Time for Your Relationship
Your relationship may not be your only priority. But it should be one of your top priorities.
Well dealing with your kids or staying late at work may happen from time to time, but you still need to prioritize your relationship, especially in times when you are being pulled in multiple directions. This will help keep the communication open and your relationship thriving.
Here are a few ideas to help you prioritize your relationship:
- Set aside one date per month ahead of time to block off just for you and your partner
- Make 9:30 pm and after relationship time to either be intimate, have important conversations, or just be together without distractions
Make sure that you have conversations to talk about what quality time looks like to each of you!
5. Focus on Financial Security From the Get-go
Many relationships struggled because of financial disagreements. To avoid this, you want to make sure you are financially secure from the get-go when you first get married. Even if you are not a millionaire or have a ton of money in the bank, as long as you have a plan and stick to it, that’s what matters.
The last thing you want is to let the debt grow. If it is, you need to have conversations about this consistently to come up with a plan to figure out how to decrease it.
6. Support Each Other
A healthy relationship supports one another in every aspect of their lives. This means you support their goals and dreams, their career, and their future plans. You have to be on the right page for the future as well as in the present to show the right amount of support that makes the other person feel valued and respected in the relationship.
7. Do the Little Things
Another great way to keep a healthy relationship is to focus on the small things. These small things can grow into much bigger things to show that you care and value your partner.
This could be getting flowers on your way home, surprising your partner with a home-cooked meal when they get home from work or helping them with a project on the weekends.
Follow These Healthy Relationship Tips
Whether you are in a relationship now or hope to be in one in the future, following these healthy relationship tips will ensure that you are getting ahead with communication, support, and quality time spent together.
Relationships are hard work! But you can make it easier on yourself with coaching or marriage counseling.
Are you ready to get started? You can contact me to help you through it all!