Are relationships really so important?
Relationships are the institution of a meaningful life. This statement is supported by says huffpost.com. We broadly define ourselves by our relationships and by those who surround us. We depend on others for our survival: mental, emotional, and physical, and life is more comfortable when we share our successes and failures.
Relationships are vital for many different reasons, such as increasing our emotional well being, creating stability, learning how to become a good friend or partner, having someone to rely on and trust in times of need, and someone to release too when we face problems.
Each of our relationships detects different reactions that help us to grow and learn more about ourselves. Relationships often are an essential step to holding us together during times of stressful situations, and when we face life challenges. Without relationships, we would have an empty spirit and no connection to our true selves!
Types of relationships
Most of our relationships are accidental. We meet our friends or even future partners in a kindergarten, at school, at work as there we spend the main part of our time. Our relationships are based mainly on proximity. Different sites such as assertbh.org.uk, lifehack.org, luvze.com suggest various types of relationships. Here are seven the most common.
Monogamous relationships
Monogamous relationships or traditional assumes having only one sexual/romantic partner at a time. Most people who enter into such relationships and marriages do so because they want to be monogamous, though they do not always follow this rule.
Polyamorous relationships
In this kind of relationship, people have more than one romantic relationship at once. Frequently, polyamorous couples have a primary partner, a secondary partner, etc. with the understanding that these “places” can be changed as their individual needs do.
Open relationships
Such relationships are a combination of monogamous and polyamorous relationships. Whereas an open relationship lets both partners share physical intimacy with anyone they want, they save their emotional affection for each other. In this kind of relationship, each person can have as many sexual partners as they wish, but only one romantic partner.
Long-distance relationships
A long-distance relationship reserve emotional connection more than the physical one. Usually, such relationship type is often temporary; however, some couples choose to live happily ever apart indefinitely.
Casual sex relationships
In this kind of relationship, both partners agree to have sexual connection with each other regularly — and that’s it. People in casual sex relationships can be physically or emotionally intimate with others as well, so long as both people agree with it. Casual sex relationships can also be “unique.” It means neither a partner sleeps with anyone else, which is similar to monogamous relationships, but without the emotional connection.
Friends with benefits relationships
Such relationships are similar to a casual sex relationship, but with one essential difference — a set, platonic friendship. Often, “friends with benefits” relationships begin when two friends decided to act on a mutual sexual attraction. Outside of the sexual relationship, the partners work solely platonically and remain friends. Usually, such relationships end when one or both partners start to date someone else.
Asexual relationships
There is the kind of person who is asexual. It means they do not experience sexual desire or attraction to others, but they still want to participate in a romantic relationship. Entering into a relationship with an asexual person can take a few different forms. Both partners can agree to be completely sexless, or there can be a compromise for an asexual partner such as engaging in sex occasionally under certain circumstances, or partners can experiment with, for example, cuddling, kissing, and so on, finding an arrangement that works for both.
Whatever the relationship between the partners, they must, first of all, be healthy, and the partners must always and in all compromises.
What are healthy relationships, and why are they essential?
Site thehappyphilosopher.com suggests the best way to define the importance of your relationships. You only need to ask yourself the next questions:
– Does this relationship make you happy?
– Does this relationship give to you more than it takes from me?
– Does this relationship cheer me?
– Does this relationship meet my expectations?
Research shows that good relationships continue people’s life, help to deal with stress and sicknesses, and so on. The website takingcharge.csh.umn.edu explains more.
In a review of 148 studies, researchers detected that social relationships develop lifespan. People in healthy long-term relationships are 50% less likely to die prematurely than people without them, as stated by psychalive.org.
A good relationship can be shared between any two people who love, support, encourage, and help each other practically as well as emotionally. To have healthy relationships, nm.org advises to follow the next steps:
– trust, respect, and listen to each other;
– communicate openly and without judgment;
– always find time for each other;
– remember vital details about each other’s lives;
– do healthy activities together.
Signs of a healthy relationship
– both people have the center on themselves and only then is a relationship formed;
– you share common values and interests; you do and experience things together;
– there is a high level of tolerance, trust, and respect between each other;
– you listen to each other, share feelings, and help with needs;
– there are always more aspects present in a relationship;
– you prone to continually develop and achieve personal goals;
– the investment into the relationship is 50%-50% from each side;
– you always get active constructive responses to everything you ask, and you discuss the essential things;
– you support each other if tough times come;
– in intimate relationships, there must be love, trust, honesty, support, care, passion, and sexual attraction.
How to maintain healthy relationships?
Maintaining a healthy and long-term relationship is a hard-working process. Here are a few tips to help you save that special connection in relationships:
Listen actively
Be sure you pay enough attention to what your partner is trying to tell you, even though you have no interest in the discussed topic.
Show affection.
Physical affection helps to stay connected: hold hands, hug and kiss each other, and so on but do not place these actions over the top.
Communicate and discuss everything with each other
Very often, we are swamped that we inadvertently neglect our relationships. Always find even a few minutes to ask your partner how the day was, does he or she need your support or advice, and so on. Do not be also ashamed to share the problems you have or things that bother you.
Relationships matter as they show us how to love and be loved, as well as who we are and who we do not want to be. Having relationships that are based on trust, honesty, and support allow us to be our authentic selves indeed.
We should be open to creating relationships with new people. Never pretend to be someone else, just be you, and the right people will come into your life for the right reasons! Always be honest, and others will love the real you!
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