Healthy Relationships

Seek and turn to people who nurture or inspire you. Strong social and emotional support is a powerful stress buster to improve health and prolong life. It’s not just about the number of friendships you have in your circle, but the deep relationships with people that give you the sensation that you are loved and cared for. Your social network can include a significant other, friend, relative, pet, or members of a social or community group. Involvement in a religious group, sports team, or charitable cause, can provide great emotional support.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP ARE:

HONESTY & TRUST – Discussing problems and starting with 'I' statements when sharing feelings instead of 'you'. (example: I feel sad when you ...)

EMOTIONAL RESPECT – Trying to understand the other persons feelings, even if we disagree with their ideas.

LISTENING – Asking about others thoughts and feelings.

FREEDOM & ENCOURAGEMENT – Supporting each others rights to have opinions, feelings, space, friends and dreams.

SHARING ACTIVITIES – Doing things that each person enjoys.

KINDNESS - Genuine concern and care for one another.

MUTUAL AFFECTION - Sharing compliments and showing appreciation for one another.

SHARED DECISION MAKING - Deciding together and making compromises.