Relationships … the source of many conflicting emotions. Is it worth it?
We have healthy relationships and we have unhealthy relationships. ALL relationships can help us grow, but healthy relationships are what we aspire to have, of course. But, what does a healthy relationship look like?
In an article on the website of Northwestern Medicine, the author lists some tendencies of people who are experiencing a positive relationship. They tend to:
- Listen to each other
- Communicate openly and without judgment
- Trust and respect each other
- Consistently make time for each other
- Remember details about each other’s lives
- Engage in healthy activities together
The author also discusses 5 benefits of having healthy relationships:
- Less Stress
- Better Healing
- Healthier Behaviors
- Greater Sense of Purpose
- Longer Life
To read more about those benefits, here’s the URL: https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/5-benefits-of-healthy-relationship
We are biologically programmed to form close bonds from the day we are born. We are hardwired to try to connect with others, even if we don’t understand the benefits of it. We learn and grow through relationships. But if we are going through a hard time, we often tend to withdraw.
In this series of blogs, I will be sharing what I have learned and continue learning about being in relationship and why it’s so important. The advantages of a good relationship are outlined above. We will be looking at those attributes more closely, but we also benefit from understanding what goes on in an unhealthy relationship, so that we can avoid what is obviously not to our benefit. In a website I found called UWire for College Students, there’s an article on why relationships matter. In it, the author describes some ways in which unhealthy relationships can harm us. These include:
- It can hurt your physical health.
- It can hurt your psychological well-being.
- It can make it harder to succeed.
- It can be harmful for your children.
The only way we can really discern whether or not a relationship is healthy is through self-reflection. We need to become consciously aware of what’s going on and then act to make necessary changes, if needed. With good communication, some relationships can improve, but when should we walk away? That’s one of the topics we will be exploring in this series. When all is said and done, what will have mattered in your life?
When you are in the final days of life, what will you want? Will you hug that college degree in the walnut frame? Will you ask to be carried to the garage so you can sit in your car? Will you find comfort in re-reading your financial statement? Of course not. What will matter then will be people. If relationships will matter most then, shouldn’t they matter most now?”
~ Max Lucado
Relationships matter!
Comments? Questions? Please post your response below.