It’s important to have a healthy relationship with your romantic partner because you want to lead a long, happy life together. You know that, but did you know that healthy relationships can also improve your personal mental and physical health? To maintain a strong, long-lasting relationship, you want to be able to count on your partner, communicate effectively, and feel that they care about you.
It’s important to listen to your partner, ask what they need, and let them know what you need from them as well. There will be times in your relationship where you need to set boundaries, and that’s not a bad thing. In fact, setting boundaries is a way of loving someone and showing that you’re committed to them. First, let’s talk about why that’s so important.
Boundaries
Boundaries are important for your health because you need to take care of yourself before you take care of anyone else. It’s like that old analogy about putting your air mask on before you help others put theirs on. You want to set a boundary and say “this is what I need and why.” For example, you might be a private person whereas your partner is more of an open book; which could be due to how they were raised on their family dynamic.
If this is the case, there might come a time where you’ll need to set a boundary and ask them to keep your private matters, such as details about your personal health or religious practices, private. If your partner can’t accept that, stand your ground firmly. Your needs are important, and it’s important that they hear you out, but it’s also vital to listen to what they have to say. If they aren’t in agreement with a boundary that you’re setting, see why they don’t want to respect that boundary. Boundaries are an extremely important part of maintaining good health, and if you struggle to set boundaries, then it’s something you can talk about in therapy either with your partner or in individual therapy.
Mental health and your relationship
If you’re in a healthy relationship, it affects your mental health because being with your partner makes you happy. You can’t expect a partner to be the only reason that you’re happy, though; that’s not realistic, and it’ll create an unhealthy dynamic very quickly. You want to be able to have realistic expectations, which will mean that your partner will contribute to your happiness but won’t be the only reason that you’re happy.
You’re responsible for your own happiness. You can’t expect anyone else to make you happy. They can enhance your happiness and make your life more enjoyable, sure, but that’s the keyword: more. Like you, they need to be able to get their needs met first, and then, they’ll be able to contribute to your happiness.
Physical health
When you’re stressed out, you can feel it in your body. You might have a racing heart, feel nauseated and struggle with sleep, or experience anxiety that makes you shake or tremble. Anxiety about your relationship can be a sign that something is wrong with the dynamic. Relationships can make you feel really good, but they can also make you feel really bad.
If you’re in a healthy relationship, your physical health can be impacted positively and vice versa, if you’re in a toxic relationship, you can find that your physical health is impacted negatively. Long-term stress is harsh on the body and can lead to skin troubles, digestive issues, heart issues, and more, so be sure to take care of yourself and reduce your stress levels as much as possible.
Get healthy
Relationships and the physical or mental impact that they have on you matter. One of the things that can help you flourish both in your relationships and your personal wellbeing is counseling. Online counseling is a great way to work on your relationship.
It’s an excellent place to discuss what’s bothering you and a couples counselor can help. Whether you’re working with someone in your local area or online, getting help matters. You can read about common relationship issues at Regain here https://www.regain.us/advice/. Couples counseling is an opportunity for you and your significant other to get closer and understand one another.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.