Throughout our lifetime we have thousands of relationships starting with our parents and caregivers. Some are long-term, some short-term, some good, indifferent and some are very hard.
How we learn to manage our relationships begins whilst we’re in the womb. As we grow and develop, we learn how to build relationships, negotiate them, make up and break up, sustain complex relationships and learn how to get along in the most difficult of situations.
The relationships we form support one of our most basic human needs: our biological and psychological needs in life. Relationships give us a part to play in the world, in our community, at work, and in our personal lives. However, they can also become complicated and complex, like a continual juggling act between family, friends, work, college, neighbours and others.
Having great relationships.
The wonderful benefits of this great mix of relationships are:
- A sense of belonging
- Emotional support
- Personal growth and identity
- Fulfilment and happiness
- Healthier habits and physical health
- Intellectual growth
- Purpose and responsibility
Overall, relationships satisfy our need for connection, help us grow, and provide us with comfort, happiness, and meaning. The quality and depth of our relationships have a profound influence on almost every aspect of life from health, to success, to how we perceive and experience the world.
The variety of relationships.
Most of us have a healthy range of relationships in all areas of our lives which will all be slightly different.
- Personal relationships are bonds between family members, such as parents, siblings, and extended relatives. These relationships are often based on blood, marriage, or adoption.
- Friendships are formed through voluntary and mutual connections based on trust, respect, shared interests, and emotional support.
- Romantic relationships are formed by intimate connections often characterised by love, attraction, and commitment.
- Professional relationships are formed in the workplace or professional settings, including those with colleagues, supervisors, clients, and mentors. These relationships are often goal-oriented and built on trust and mutual respect.
- Social relationships are broader connections with acquaintances, community members, or casual contacts. These relationships may not involve deep emotional bonds but are vital for networking and social integration.
- Transactional relationships are primarily based on an exchange of goods, services, or information. These are often short-term and goal-specific.
- Digital relationships or connections are formed and maintained through online platforms, such as social media, forums, or virtual workspaces. These can include friendships, romantic interactions, or professional networks.
Building, forming and sustaining healthy long-term relationships is a complex set of communication processes that can become strained and even create a breakdown in the strongest of relationships due to a variety of reasons.
What can affect a healthy relationship?
- Poor communication, feedback, recognition and communication styles.
- Roles, responsibilities, lack of clarity and unmet expectations
- Unresolved personal issues, external stresses, change and uncertainty
- Physical environment, unhealthy boundaries or dependency
- Lack of appreciation, respect and personal boundaries
- Lack of trust and reliability
- Neglect, taking each other for granted and growing apart
- Different values or life goals
- Lack of emotional or physical intimacy
- Jealousy, control, conflict avoidance and resolution, gossip and rumours, competition and rivalry
- Diversity, inclusion and personality styles
- Work life balance, organisation skills, and stress
5 Ingredients For Sustaining and Strengthening Healthy Relationships
Having healthy relationships is very rewarding, supportive and comforting but there are key components to being able to form and keep good relationships going.
- Good communication by having open and honest conversations about each other's thoughts and feelings which will lead to:
- Build trust and confidence in the reliability and integrity of the other person.
- Having respect by acknowledging each other's boundaries, values, and individuality.
- Solid support through providing emotional, mental, or physical assistance when needed.
- Establishing boundaries to ensure mutual comfort and respect.
Relationships can be fulfilling, supportive, and enriching, but they also require time to build, as well as effort, commitment, understanding, and maintenance to thrive. We aren’t always going to be in agreement with the other person’s views, opinions and actions but it’s how we manage ourselves and the situation that either makes or breaks a relationship.
All relationships are fluid.
Some relationships will naturally change over time due to circumstances, changes in jobs and moving areas but having good communication skills, an understanding of people and empathy will help you form new ones, strengthen waning relationships and reignite the fire in your romances.
Keeping relationships healthy is a basic requirement for us as human beings and needs a multi-faceted approach if we are to reap the rewards of healthy relationships by continually checking in on:
- Improved our self-awareness
- Enhanced our communication skills
- Set healthy boundaries
- Manage conflict resolution and improve problem-solving
- Increased our emotional intelligence
- Recognise and break unhealthy patterns
- Form clarity around our goals and values
- Improve our confidence and self-worth
- Secure our accountability and consistency skills
- Negotiate and navigate life transitions
- Improve our stress management
- Strengthening our connection and empathy
Would you like to improve your relationships?
If you would like help with this why not book a 30 minute chat and let’s talk.
