[nextpage title=”…”]
Relationships are hard to navigate whether you’re on the rocks or madly in love. In the first scenario, you struggle with memories of the good times and periods of happiness mixed in with arguments and sleepless nights. In the second, everything seems like you’ve always dreamed and you might be ready to take things to the next level, but you don’t know how to tell whether this really is the right relationship to settle down with. These 10 signs you’re in the right relationship can serve as a checklist. They can either point toward affirmation everything is going well or help you to identify points that you and your partner need to work on.
1. You Communicate Effectively
Communication is vital to every relationship, but when it comes to romance, lack of proper communication can destroy everything. Healthy couples communicate verbally and are comfortable with expressing their feelings – both positive and negative – and can do so in a way that isn’t defensive or inflammatory.
2. You Enjoy Doing Things Together
Couples in the right relationship have mutual interests that they enjoy doing when they’re together. This can be going to concerts, biking or even a creative endeavor like a painting. What’s important is that you aren’t constantly having to switch off on activities that one person loves and the other is just tolerating.
3. You Have Separated Lives
You shouldn’t only confide in your significant other or not have a social life beyond your relationship. The word “partner” implies that they are doing something alongside you, not consuming your life altogether. Happy relationships happen when couples respect one another’s interests and encourage each other to practice them solo.
4. You Are Still You When You’re with Them
Too many people change who they are to either attract someone’s attention or maintain a relationship. One great way to know you’re with the right person is that they accept you 100 percent for who you are and you don’t ever find yourself modifying your opinions, thoughts, wants or dreams based on how you worry they’ll respond.
[/nextpage][nextpage title=”…”]
5. You Respect Your Differences
There are some fundamental principles that couples should agree on before seriously committing to one another, but there are also plenty of other smaller things you are going to discover about your partner that you won’t agree with. Whether it’s music, political views or something else entirely, healthy couples respect one another’s opinions and don’t feel the need to share identical views on everything to be happy together.
6. You Fight Productively
Arguments are inevitable, but couples who are in the right relationship don’t name call, degrade or make their other partner feel like they’re less than them during a fight. At the end of an argument, you should be able to find a compromise that leaves you both happy – even if it’s agreeing to disagree.
RELATED ARTICLE: 3 Relationship “Red Flags” That Actually Could Be The Signs Of A Healthy Relationship
7. You Make Each Other Better
Your partner should encourage and inspire you to be your best. Not to change who you are, but to improve on all of your strong suits, pursue your passions and become the best version of you that you can possibly be.
8. You Have Similar Dreams for the Future
If one of you sees yourself in a penthouse and a CEO in 10 years while the other wants to have five kids in the countryside, it may not be a good idea to continue the relationship without having a serious discussion about the future. A couple who is right together will have their own personal long term goals but be very similar when it comes to the “big picture”.
9. You Mutually Share and Keep Secrets
A couple should be able to tell one another anything without having to worry about their confession making its way around their significant other’s family or social circle. Of course, things may come up the time to time between you and your best friend, but overall you should value your partner’s privacy as much as your own and respect them enough to keep it intact.
10. You’re Attracted to Them on More Than One Level
You can’t just like someone physically and expects a relationship to excel, but the same goes for people who may love their partner’s mind but don’t feel any sexual attraction to them. In order for a relationship to succeed, you must find your partner attractive on various levels – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
[/nextpage]
