3 Tips Towards A Healthy Relationship

Welcome to week 3 of the relationship series! I hope what I have discussed so far has helped you gain insight on how you could approach dating. What I want to provide you this week is 3 tips towards a healthy relationship once you have found your person. It is important to build a strong foundation. You can’t go further into a new relationship with a rocky, unbalanced foundation. It is important to take this time as a new couple to spend time with one another and continue to learn more about each other. There are 3 tips I want to share with you when building a foundation and developing into a healthy relationship: Supporting one another, sharing your life but still living your own, and having fun with the process!

1.) Being there for them. What I mean is, you want to be there for them in the time of need or emotionally. View it like this: You two are partners; teammates in this journey together. You both are not on opposing teams, you’re on the same team. Be there as a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, or open arms for a hug. Surprise them with their favorite candy or a bowl of ice cream after a bad day. Pick a flower you saw on the side of the sidewalk and give it to them simply because it made you think of them. Not only is this showing you care for them, but it also shows that you are thinking of them, and love/like/appreciate them. It is the small things in life that mean the most.

2.) Sharing your life, but still living yours. What I believe to be one of the most important aspects to understand when in a new relationship is that you both may be on the same team, but you are still living your own lives. Don’t feel as if you need to cancel plans you’ve made for yourself if your significant other asks to go out. Also, don't feel down if they made plans when you were hoping to see them one night. They have their interests, friends, and family that make their life their own just like you do, and that's great that they do!

My biggest advice here is to continue to live your life. Don’t steer away from family and friends due to being so tunnel vision towards your new relationship. Do you have those friends who, as soon as they are in a new relationship, they just kind of fall off the face of the Earth? I know several and it's never a fun feeling being the friend. Please don't put your family or friends through that, because if it doesn't work out, who do you then turn to?

It is important to still live your life and do things that make you happy. If you continue to cancel your own plans, this will show your partner that you don’t find your plans to be important enough, or it could come off as a turn-off that you don’t continue doing things that you enjoy and make you who you are. People find it attractive when someone they are interested in is invested into their own lives, that even when they make the necessary time with you, they are still making themselves great and are living a fulfilling life.

When you share your life with someone new, continue doing you, while still making the time for your new relationship. Rather that means you talk on the phone each day, or make a date night every Monday evening. Make the time and effort to be with one another because this is still the learning stage! But also remember, continue with your own life and interests that make you who you are.

3.) Make the experience fun! I think sometimes we become so overwhelmed or caught-up in the start of a new relationship, we tend to forget to relax and have fun with it. Going into a new relationship should be fun and exciting, not nerve wrecking. Enjoy this time together, and have experiences. Through those experiences memories will be made, and it is when you can truly learn more about one another. As I have mentioned above, make a commitment to have date nights, go on weekend vacations, try new places or activities, meet new people, go on double dates, whatever it is that makes you both jump in excitement, do it! Not only are they your partner, but your new best friend, and when you have a best friend you want to help them when they need you. You want to hang out and have fun with each other. You want to share your life with them and invite them into it!

All in all, when it comes to building a healthy relationship, it all starts with the strong foundation you have to build first. This is the prime time to learn more about one another, meet each other’s families and friends, and spend more quality time with each other. My biggest advice is to be yourself and continue to live your life. Who you are is the reason as to why this person has fallen for you in the first place. They love who you are, and the interesting life you live. Continue to see friends, spend time with family, and do the hobbies that make your heart full, while also making quality time to spend with them. Be excited, enjoy the ride, and I hope it all goes farther in the process for you!!

Ephesians 4:2-3

-Always be humble and gentle. Be patient and accept each other with love. You are joined together with peace through the Spirit. Do all you can to continue as you are, letting peace hold you together.