Building Blocks of Healthy Relationships: A Guide to Harmony and Happiness

In the dance of life, healthy relationships are our most intricate and rewarding steps. These connections, built on certain fundamental components, not only enhance our everyday experiences but also profoundly impact our mental health and overall well-being.

Communication: The Heartbeat of Healthy Relationships

First and foremost, communication stands as the backbone. It’s the golden thread weaving through every successful relationship. According to Dr. John Gottman, a renowned relationship expert, effective communication is less about grand gestures and more about the small, everyday moments of shared understanding and empathy. It’s the “Good morning” texts, the “How was your day?” inquiries, and the attentive listening that builds bridges between hearts.

Trust: The Foundation of Security

Trust forms the bedrock. Without it, the structure of a relationship crumbles. As American author Stephen R. Covey said, “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” This trust evolves from consistency, reliability, and the comforting belief that your partner has your best interests at heart.

Respect: The Pillar of Healthy Relationships

Respect acts as a sturdy pillar. It’s about valuing each other’s opinions, embracing differences, and treating each other with kindness. In the words of Aretha Franklin, it’s all about R-E-S-P-E-C-T. When respect flourishes, so does love.

Empathy: The Window to Understanding

Empathy opens the window to deeper understanding. It’s about putting yourself in your partner’s shoes, sharing their feelings, and offering a shoulder when the world seems heavy. As Dr. Brené Brown, a research professor, articulates, empathy is the antidote to shame and a powerful tool for connection.

Support: The Mainstay of Healthy Relationships

Support plays the role of a gentle wind, lifting your partner higher. It’s about encouraging dreams, celebrating successes, and providing a safety net during failures. It’s the silent cheerleading that says, “I believe in you.”

Independence: The Space to Grow

Independence offers essential breathing room. A healthy relationship isn’t about two halves making a whole; it’s about two wholes coming together. This space allows for personal growth and mutual respect, nurturing a more robust bond.

Neuroscience and Healthy Relationships

Delving into neuroscience, the benefits of healthy relationships become even more evident. When we engage in positive interactions, our brain releases oxytocin, often termed the ‘love hormone.’ This chemical not only fosters bonding but also reduces stress and anxiety.

Furthermore, a study published in the journal “Neuropsychopharmacology” revealed that strong social support is linked to a reduced risk of mental health issues. It highlighted that healthy relationships can buffer the effects of stress and bolster emotional resilience.

Impact on Mental Health and Wellbeing

The impact of healthy relationships on our mental health and well-being is profound. They provide a sense of belonging, reduce feelings of loneliness, and boost our self-esteem. According to the Mental Health Foundation, fulfilling relationships are a key contributor to mental health, with isolation and poor relationships often leading to depression and anxiety.

In conclusion, healthy relationships, with their intricate blend of communication, trust, respect, empathy, support, and independence, are not just a part of life; they are what make life worth living. They nurture our brains, heal our hearts, and embolden our spirits. In the canvas of existence, they are the strokes of colour that make the picture vibrant and alive.

We Are In Relationship With Everyone We Meet

We are in a relationship with everyone we meet because we are always swapping energy.  Even the guy reading the paper in the adjacent seat on the train might leave an impression as you form an opinion about or sense his energy.  Although not much of a connection, it’s important to know we can impact everyone we meet at some level.

So we can make an impact with a stranger.  The impact is much greater on our nearest and dearest, our work colleagues, teams or customers.  Human relationships whether they are romantic, work-based, friendship or family-based are successful or not because of several common factors.

Forging successful relationships is essential for a successful life.  Whether at home or work,  creating successful connections is being able to identify what needs to be in place, and being able to understand ways your relationships work by heightening your understanding of the relationship. Professional relationships and personal relationships can have some commonalities, but there will be differences too.

The Strength and Depth of Relationships

The following attempts to break down the factors which determine the strength and depth of our connections.  These factors illustrate some of the myriad ways we forge links with others.

Purpose

You are friends with Ted because you like going to the pub every Friday. He is in there every time you go for a pint. You form a relationship centred around that routine.   If Ted stops going to the pub on Fridays, it’s unlikely you will continue with your relationship. If you went and knocked on Ted’s door, he would likely be gobsmacked.   Not all relationships need to be strong or deep.  When one person in the relationship goes beyond the purpose of the relationship, it’s not always reciprocated.  Understanding and being honest about the purpose of any relationship can prevent many misunderstandings and conflicts.

Reciprocity

A relationship can only be successful if both people want to be in it. If you’ve ever been friends with someone and you’re making all the calls. You are the one trying to make arrangements to meet. It follows you are probably more invested in the relationship than the other person.  If a customer simply isn’t interested in your product. If your employee is looking for another job, you don’t have a reciprocal relationship.

Energy

Sometimes we have the best connections with people who have contrasting energy. Someone reserved and quiet may enjoy being in a relationship with another who is exuberant and loud.  Alternatively, such a relationship might be a complete recipe for disaster.  I remember being on an interview panel with a candidate who was enthusiastic and proactive.  While I admired her energy, the other panel members felt drained by it.  If matching energy is experienced, then people may feel extremely comfortable or very bored.

Values

Shared values usually create relationship success.  If you are struggling in a relationship, examining each other’s values is a good place to start.  If for example you value expensive things and a luxurious lifestyle and someone else values basic and simplistic living, then you will either come to terms with the differences or the relationship will not exist for any length of time.  Likewise, a caring, sharing colleague might form a close working relationship with a tough hard-headed business type, but the depth of shared values may well determine the depth of the connection.

Expectations

Expectations can be centred on your own and/or others’ needs and wants.  If you expect your employees to contribute a decent day’s work for a fair wage and that doesn’t happen, then the chances are you have relationship problems.  Likewise, with personal connections, problems may well occur if you feel let down or expect something different than that which is on offer

Communication

How we communicate can determine the success or not of a relationship.  Communication differences can ruin a relationship if there is a lack of understanding about different communication styles.  For example, conflicts can arise between people who communicate kinaesthetically and those who are auditory. I remember a long drawn-out conflict between a manager and one of his team because the language he used was logical and factual and didn’t fit with her needs which were words of caring, feeling and empathy.

Attitude

Your beliefs, thoughts and conclusions can determine your attitude about people in your personal and work life.  If you work for an employer and you believe you don’t count, then your belief is going to colour the relationship with your manager or team. Your attitude will seep out whenever you speak to others about work. Likewise, if someone has let you down badly in your personal life if you are unable to forgive them, then your relationship will be affected forever by your attitude to them.

Commitment

Creating a relationship requires commitment, even if it’s to give someone your full attention for just a day.  If you decide to work for someone and only plan to stay for a few months and they expect you to stay for the long haul, then your commitment to each other is mismatched and will affect your relationship.  Most of us enter into marriage as a lifelong commitment.  However, when that commitment wanes, the relationship could be in big trouble without a re-examination and re-connection of why you committed in the first place.

Boundaries

Boundaries exist physically, emotionally and mentally.  Part of building good friendships and connections is about identifying and respecting your own and other people’s boundaries.  Building healthy boundaries is key to all relationships.   We will build up walls when there is a lack of trust and so it’s key to know how to establish or rebuild trust in a relationship.   Boundaries signify how much you can or want to allow someone into your life, or how much of yourself you want to give.  Pre-nuptial agreements set clear boundaries.  I want to spend my life with you, but if anything goes wrong,  I’m not prepared to give you my money.  At work, contracts of employment set out the boundaries of the relationship.  Trouble can occur when you’ve signed up for 40 hours a week, and a company with a long-hours culture expects a lot more.

Timeliness

Relationships happen at the right time.  If the timing is wrong, then it’s unlikely the relationship will satisfy any or some of the factors listed above.  If you meet the man or woman of your dreams and you need to go to college halfway around the world, then the timing may be wrong to get together at that point.  Likewise, if your customer doesn’t want to buy quite at that point, or your employees don’t buy into your vision, it may well be that the time is just not quite right.  Unless of course there is a permanent mismatch of any of the above and there will never be a right time.

So those are some of the factors which determine the strength and depth of different types of relationships.  It’s always useful to think about the type of relationship you feel you have and put yourself into other’s shoes to determine how they view the relationship too.  You can find out more about tools which can help you think more deeply about relationships, The Relationship Quality Model, and the Social penetration model.

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

I help leaders develop self- mastery, helping them to become confident in their own inner guidance.

I collaborate with leadership experts, managers and HR professionals to help them get their own message and unique services and products to a wide audience.