Essentials For A Healthy Relationship

Have you ever wondered what are the essential elements for a healthy relationship? What are the ingredients needed for a relationship to work?

It is clear that every couple is different and that not everyone needs the same thing. However, we find in psychology some general ideas that can be applicable to all those relationships that seek to become healthy relationships, for example through mutual respect.

We present five essential elements for a healthy relationship: communication, trust, humor, respect, and most importantly, love. After reading them we encourage you to answer the following question : Would you add more to the list?

5 elements for a healthy relationship

Eye contact

A seemingly simple and everyday act like looking into each other’s eyes is one of the essential elements for a healthy relationship. Because? Because when two people look directly into each other’s eyes, they have the ability to connect. That is, to connect on another level, on a more emotional level.

“When the looks speak, the words are silent“. Look into your partner’s eyes and maybe you will see how, despite everything, the chemistry is still there. In connection with this, Michael Ellsberg, author of The Power of Eye Contact , states that when you make eye contact with another person, you are, in a sense, giving that person a glimpse into your own emotional world.

Laugh together

Laughing together, as well as looking into each other’s eyes, connects people a lot, strengthens the bond and promotes personal trust. When we laugh we have fun, we feel pleasure, and we feel this pleasure thanks to the release of endorphins and other substances in our brain.

What happens to the things that keep us entertained? We want to experience them again, and what’s better than repeating happy moments with our partner?

A study by a team of researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine suggests that a sense of humor is an attractive aspect. The researchers found that women exhibited greater activity than men in brain regions involved with reward when reacting to a joke.

The study also explains that women evolved to enjoy humor, while men evolved to produce it.

Mutual respect among the essential elements for a healthy relationship

Respect is another essential ingredient in a relationship. Respecting involves listening to the other person’s opinion even if you don’t share it, not insulting, speaking well, considering the other person, accepting their faults, being sincere, etc.

In other words, respecting involves a large number of actions and attitudes, all linked to a strengthening of the bond and greater trust in the couple.

Also, when one person disrespects the other, they are more likely to do it again in the future, and this can end up generating very toxic dynamics within the relationship.

Spending time together

Spending time with a person is one of the greatest proofs of love that anyone can offer. If for X reasons you cannot spend physical time with that person, or see each other physically, at least try to find time to call, talk.

This becomes fundamental in a couple, because spending time together means more opportunities to get to know each other and create shared memories.

So, by this ingredient we mean not so much physically spending time together (if possible, all the better), but rather spending time with each other in general. Spending time with your partner also allows you to put an end to possible conflicts if they exist.

Listening to each other among the essentials for a healthy relationship

In relation to a point already mentioned (that of respect), we also suggest another essential ingredient for a healthy relationship: active listening. Listening to your partner actively involves showing interest in what they are telling us, asking questions, showing attention, arguing, etc.

It is an act of love and respect for the other, moreover, we all like to be listened to, right? We can always learn something from the other person through active listening. On the other hand, it is another way to improve communication and trust between partners.

Final reflection on love and couple relationships

In a healthy relationship there is trust, sincerity and mutual respect, as well as love. Each couple must find their own formula to enjoy the relationship by learning with (and from) the other without interfering with their personal freedom.

The ideas we have brought you are just a few examples, although we could find many others: practicing assertive and transparent communication, being sincere, looking for moments of tranquility and intimacy … The list is endless, even if the ingredients explained are certainly necessary to build a relationship in which to have fun and be yourself.

Let’s not forget that love is the basis of relationships, but that these must be built little by little and with a real interest on the part of both members (they definitely don’t build themselves).