I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes great relationships recently

1. Openness
Being able to be open with your partner is, I believe, a sign of a great relationship. Knowing that you can be an authentic version of yourself without fear of being questioned or laughed at; to be able to ask for what you want; to be vulnerable and know that you are held by your partner; to be able to discuss what’s on your mind without judgement — these are all signs of a strong relationship. Openness is about having honest communication without trying to score points.

2. Ease
Life is tough enough without bringing it into your relationships. Walking on eggshells around your partner is not a sign of ease. Ease is beautiful, it’s feeling comfortable in each other’s company; being to able to sit in silence without feeling the need to fill the empty space; it’s laughter and fun — all beautiful things to have in a relationship.

3. Kindness
Kindness costs us nothing yet it’s surprising how often in our over-scheduled and stressed lives that we forget the enormous value in showing a little kindness. A great relationship is one where we consciously ‘choose’ our partner every day; we choose to love them, we choose to say something kind to them, to do something for them and to surprise them.

4. Forgiveness
The brave soul apologises first. Know that we are all human, we all have bad days and we all make mistakes. Accepting and seeking forgiveness is one of the greatest strengths of a strong relationship. Always jump in first because holding onto grudges damages a relationship.

5. Respect
Respect is all about appreciating that your partner has different views and opinions and that’s okay. It’s valuing and loving them even though you might not feel the same way about things and appreciating that we’re all human. It’s also about knowing and appreciating that we’re all doing the best we can in any given moment.

6. Space
We all need time alone and we all need our own space to grow and develop. Acknowledging this in a relationship is a sign of understanding and maturity. Introverts in a relationship will need more space than extroverts and respecting this is important.

7. Unconditional Love
Last but by no means least is unconditional love. Loving without condition or expectation. That for many is a tough one. If we let go of expectations and loved our partner simply and truly as they are we’d have a lot more fun.

Credit: eHarmony UK and psiloveyou.xyz