There are actions you can take to create a healthy relationship, regardless of how long you’ve been dating or how new your relationship is. You may find strategies to stay connected, find contentment, and experience long-lasting happiness. This is true even if you’ve had a lot of failed relationships in the past or have previously struggled to reignite the passion in your current relationship. People form relationships for a variety of reasons, and each relationship is distinct. After the issues are handled, people frequently return their focus to their jobs, families, or other hobbies.
Frustration arises when you believe a relationship ought to be one way and yours isn’t. Furthermore, according to Orbuch, frustration is the number one thing that eats away at a relationship, and it’s directly tied to these myths. So it’s very important to bust out some misconceptions regarding healthy relationships.
What Qualifies as a Healthy Relationship?
- Interaction: Every connection benefits from open and honest communication because it enables you to share with the people in your life who you are and what you need. Although it happens frequently, miscommunication can frequently result in issues, misunderstandings, and wounded feelings.
- Have Faith: The development of trust can take time. Furthermore, even if it can be difficult to trust someone, particularly if you’ve had your trust betrayed in the past, you can’t hold your current spouse responsible for the actions of another.
- Consent: Consent is the verbal or physical manifestation of two people’s clear and enthusiastic desire to engage in sexual activity. Some people can’t provide permission; they include those who are drunk, unconscious, or sleepy, as well as people with intellectual disabilities.
Consent is contingent upon active communication and the knowledge that one party may always withdraw their consent. This suggests that consent can be given for certain behaviors (like kissing) but not for others (like having sex). As with sex, the foundation of consent should be honoring each other’s autonomy over how they want to use their bodies.
Myths About Healthy Relationships
Myth 1: Expensive gifts and grand gestures are the only ways love is expressed.
Individuals in committed relationships frequently assert that modest gestures of appreciation and generosity have far greater significance than overt statements of love. It’s frequently more meaningful to laugh together, be friends, and express love with a thoughtful note or cup of tea than it is to express it verbally.
Related: Why is love important in our relationship?
Myth 2: Arguments are warning signs
Arguments, especially minor ones, are highly valued by many individuals because they help release tensions instead of allowing them to fester. They can also strengthen your relationship by revealing to you what matters to the other person. The important thing is to just acknowledge and accept the possibility that your communication styles may differ.
Myth 3: You should spend as much time as you can with each other.
Moving farther apart and closer together are both possible in a healthy relationship. For instance, having different hobbies or time and space to spend on one’s own activities, whether alone themselves or with companions, might be beneficial. The decision to “live apart together” is becoming more and more common among long-term partners. Learn more about spending time with and without each other.
Related: The link between Personality Traits and Relationship Satisfaction
Myth 4: You should be completed by your partner.
Even while partners play a significant role in each other’s lives, your life was full before you met them. It wouldn’t be lacking if you broke up either. Setting limits, engaging in hobbies, and setting aside time for yourself are all beneficial.
Myth 5: In order to succeed in a relationship, Monogamy is required
“Monogamy” in a relationship refers to the practice or expectation of being exclusively committed to one romantic or sexual partner at a time. Some people choose non-monogamous relationships. They believe that being dedicated to only one person, i.e., monogamy, is not a prerequisite for a happy and successful relationship. Less committed relationships, or casual ones, are more common and can work well for certain individuals.
Related: 10 Telltale Signs Your Relationship Is Making You Unhappy
Myth 6: Having a Great Relationship is simple
It takes time, work, and dedication to maintain a happy and healthy relationship. Relationships are hard work, especially if they are going to be long-term, and there will always be obstacles in your path. We frequently assume that relationships would be simple, as we see on TV and in books.
Myth 7: Executing partner’s needs above own needs is essential
You still have to put your needs first in a relationship. It’s wonderful if you always try to put someone else’s needs ahead of your own, especially if they’re doing the same for you. If so, it stands to reason that you will most likely cross paths in the middle. While there may be occasions when you give much more, there will also inevitably be instances when they give much more.
Related: Importance of Self-Respect in Relationships
Having clear expectations for what you both want the relationship to become and go towards is one of the characteristics that makes a relationship healthy. Nonetheless, the majority of wholesome partnerships also share a few traits. Be aware that many of these widespread beliefs are reinforced by television and film.
Related: 9 Signs of a Toxic Relationship
However, if we take them to be true, it’s not good for our personal relationships. Thus, distance yourself from the relationship you’re in and purge your mind of all “noise.” Next, decide on the kind of relationship you desire, not the one that appears good on TV or that your parents or friends would like you to have. Once you’ve done that, determine what you might need to work on in order to build that relationship, then get to work on it. The relationships you desire will soon begin to materialize in your life.
Related: I Love You But I Can’t Commit!
References+
- 5 Myths we’re taught about relationships. (n.d.). https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/March-2018/5-Myths-We-re-Taught-About-Relationships
- http://www.awakenpsychology.com.au/resources/The%2010%20Most%20Common%20Relationship%20Myths.pdf