Building healthy relationships
Read on for tips on how to nurture relationships with those you care about.
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Written by Sonder Health
Updated over a week ago

Healthy relationships with your partner, family members or friends can enhance your life, but they don't just happen. Healthy relationships take time to build and need ongoing work. The more positive effort you put into a relationship, the healthier it should be.

Signs of a healthy relationship

People in healthy relationships love and support each other. They help each other practically as well as emotionally.

Healthy relationships are commonly based on:

  • respect

  • trust

  • open communication

  • equality

  • both shared and individual interests

  • understanding

  • honesty

  • care

Benefits of healthy relationships

People who have healthy relationships are more likely to feel happier and satisfied with their lives. Healthy relationships can:

  • increase your sense of worth and belonging

  • give you confidence

  • support you to try out new things and learn more about yourself

Communication in a healthy relationship

People who are in a healthy relationship talk to each other regularly and listen to each other too. Misunderstandings can still happen, and that can lead to people being upset, hurt or confused, however with good communication, any issues can be resolved.

It is best to be clear about what you want to say. It also helps to make a real effort to understand what the other person is saying. Here are some more helpful tips:

  • set aside time to speak to each other, without interruptions

  • put yourself in the other person’s shoes

  • don’t rely on the other person to guess what is going on, or how you are feeling

  • listen to each other, and make sure the other person knows you are listening to them

  • let the other person finish what they are saying

  • talk about things honestly and respectfully

  • try not to be too defensive

  • stay calm and try not to attack

Other ways to nurture your relationship

There are other things you can do to improve your relationship with your partner or family. You can:

  • say sorry when you are wrong

  • be affectionate and show appreciation

  • make the relationship a priority

  • develop shared interests

  • work on feeling good about yourself

  • try to find solutions that help both of you

  • make plans for the future

Having relationship issues?

It is normal to have ups and downs in a relationship. It is also normal to have different opinions. Relationships, and people, change over time.

However if you feel like the above tips are not possible, and your relationship with another person is not equal, or you feel personally unsafe, you might be in an unhealthy relationship, where guidance from a professional might be required. Information about family and domestic violence can be found here. You can read more about unsafe relationships here.


If you have any questions or need extra support, we're here to help you anytime, in any language. Simply start a chat with us via the home screen of the Sonder app.

Article originally published by: Healthdirect

Image credit: Harli Marten on Unsplash

All content is created and published for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Always seek the guidance of a qualified professional.

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