Strengthening Your Love
What makes a healthy love relationship?
Staying involved with each other.
Some relationships get stuck in peaceful
coexistence, but without truly relating
to each other and working together.
While it may seem stable on the
surface, lack of involvement and
communication increases distance.
When you need to talk about something
important, the connection and
understanding may no longer be there.
Getting through conflict. The key in a
strong relationship is not to be fearful
of conflict. You need to be safe to
express things that bother you without
fear of retaliation, and be able to
resolve conflict without humiliation,
degradation, or insisting on being right.
Keeping outside relationships and
interests alive. No one person can
meet all of our needs, and expecting too
much from someone can put a lot of
unhealthy pressure on a relationship.
Having friends and outside interests not
only strengthens your social network,
but brings new insights and stimulation
to the relationship, too.
Communicating. Honest, direct
communication is a key part of any
relationship. When both people feel
comfortable expressing their needs,
fears, and desires, trust and bonds are
strengthened. Nonverbal cues—body
language like eye contact, leaning
forward or away, or touching
someone’s arm—are critical to
communication.