The Top 5 Secrets to Healthy Dating Relationships
Jan 13th, 2009 by Chaszey Sandhriel
How do couples manage to keep healthy dating relationships even after a few decades of living together? How do the people in healthy dating relationships manage to stay compatible for the long term? In my experience, it takes the same people who started the relationship to keep it going. Sure, there are therapists and concerned family members around to keep the couple on track, but ultimately, the decisions will have to come from the couple. In fact, too much meddling from others may even prove to be detrimental in the long run. People who can barely hang on to their relationships are more susceptible to confusion and wrong turns may lead to dead ends when too many people put their two cents in.
Here are the secrets to keeping healthy dating relationships.
1. Say what you mean. The importance of communication cannot be denied. If you make it a habit to never tell white lies, you will eventually learn how to be completely honest to your partner. Everyone has a closet full of secrets, and most of the time, it is impossible to tell someone everything about you in such a short period of time. However, it gets easier as time goes by; particularly if you vow never to close your doors to someone you love. Be honest with your partner and start at the onset.
2. Don’t allow stress to take over. Healthy dating relationships are so romantic, but romance may not always be possible. Work and family stress may devour every minute of your day, but there is something you can do to keep the flame alive. Kiss each other good night every evening to remind you of your relationship.
3. Make plans together as a team - When you plan your vacations, outings or birthday parties, make sure you tell your partner about them. Respect your partner’s time and keep each other posted. Ask your partner to participate in the decision making process, doing so will communicate your affection and respect.
4. Discuss expectations - It’s impossible to make someone meet your expectations if they don’t have any idea what they are in the first place. Unfortunately I frequently see that the couples keep their expectations hidden are also the unhappy ones. Remember that reading someone’s mind is not something that ordinary people do. Remember that Healthy dating relationships are not always smooth sailing. Sometimes the stress we experience come from the very pitfalls and emotional traps within our relationships. Try to find ways to get over these hurdles together to make your relationship work.
5. Support each other’s career - When couples share the same profession it can create a competitive atmosphere at home. Discussions about who’s earning more and who’s working harder should be avoided to preserve harmony. If your partner gets promoted, show your happiness. Try not to let career and finances ruin your relationship. Many don’t understand that once you commit to someone, you share everything. To really thrive as a united couple, success and failure need to be shared.
Maintaining healthy dating relationships will always require patience and understanding. Not many people know how to make a relationship last, but everyone inherently knows the basics of loving. And so, that’s where we start.
