Healthy Relationships vs Unhealthy Relationships: we have them, we feed them, we make them and sometimes we are them. They play a significant role in your wellness. Your equation with your partner and the bond you share affects your wellness in different aspects.
Your relationships are an integral part of your lives. They are one of the strongest pillars that lay the foundation of a life lived fully. The partner is often referred to as ‘the significant other’. Rightfully, as they are, this is one of those relationships in life that runs as deep as blood but isn’t your blood.
Your relationships shape your experiences and influence your overall well-being. While some relationships bring out the best in you, others can leave you feeling drained and unhappy.
I started writing because of my partner, for him. You know when it’s just the beginning. And, everything seems to go perfectly. That’s when the passion for words entered my life. That’s how I fell for poetry, reading, and writing.
My relationship with my partner is a very significant reason for how and why I am a writer today. It led me to my purpose and it has helped me grow. It came in when I was a teenage girl and it helped me to grow into the strong & intellectual woman I am today.
In this blog, we will delve into the contrasting existence of healthy relationships vs unhealthy relationships. You will also see how your relationships have a strong impact on your health.
In the first part, you will examine eight key differentiators between the two. In the latter part, you will learn how the people around you can make or break your well-being.
I hope as you understand both, you will be empowered to cultivate positive connections that foster successful relationships and steer clear of any harmful and toxic family dynamics around you.
Healthy Relationships vs Unhealthy: 6 Ways How Your Relationships affect your Health
1. Communication
Healthy relationships thrive on open, honest, and respectful communication. When you actively listen to each other’s thoughts and feelings, you give each other the space to understand and empathize with each other.
On the other hand, unhealthy relationships suffer from poor communication or even abusive patterns. They are often characterized by red flags like manipulation, disregard, and an inability to express yourself freely around those
2. Trust
Trust is the foundation of any successful and healthy relationship. Partners who trust each other feel secure, confident, and supported in each other’s connection. Trusting your partner doesn’t happen overnight, it is earned through consistent actions and transparency in the relationship.
In contrast, unhealthy relationships are riddled with jealousy, suspicion, and deceit. They erode the bond between you two because there is no mutual respect and understanding toward each other’s perspectives in life.
3. Equality
Healthy relationships embrace a sense of equality, where both partners have a voice. They make decisions together and share each other’s responsibilities. When you are in a nourishing relationship, you consider valuing each other’s opinions, needs, and aspirations.
Unhealthy relationships often exhibit power imbalances. When you are in an unhealthy relationship, you or your partner may exert control. One tries to overpower the other and makes all the decisions. They disregard your desires and autonomy and have no concern about your feelings.
4. Emotional Support:
The most easy sign of being in a healthy relationship is feeling emotionally secure. When your partner provides emotional support during both challenging and joyful times, there’s no better feeling. They create a safe space for vulnerability and offer comfort, empathy, and encouragement. You can be yourself around them and feel secure.
In contrast, unhealthy relationships lack emotional support. People who are unsecured themselves usually dismiss or belittle each other’s feelings. This leads to emotional distress and isolation which ultimately collapses the relationship.
5. Personal Growth
Healthy relationships promote personal growth and individuality because you are secured yourself. People in real relationships support and encourage each other’s aspirations, dreams, and development.
Unhealthy relationships stifle personal growth. You know they are not the right person for you when they feel threatened by your success or independence. Your growth as a person afraid they feel inferior. This leads to unnecessary resentment and control.
6. Boundaries
Respecting personal boundaries is crucial in healthy relationships. Partners who respect each other’s boundaries recognize and honor each other’s limits, both physically and emotionally. They communicate their needs and desires without any fear of judgment or reprisal.
But when you are in unhealthy relationships, your partner may cross your boundaries. They may disregard your personal space and also engage in controlling or manipulative behaviors. These are some clear red flags for you to get out of that relationship.
7. Conflict Resolution
In healthy relationships, conflicts are seen as an opportunity for growth and understanding. When you are in a secure relationship, you approach disagreements with respect. Most importantly, you are willing to find mutually satisfactory solutions to nurture your relationship and grow together as a couple.
In unhealthy relationships, conflicts often escalate into verbal, emotional, or even physical abuse. Resolving disagreements becomes a power struggle rather than a collaborative effort. You don’t talk to each other to solve the problem but to blame the other person and get over the argument.
8. Overall Well-being
Healthy relationships contribute positively to your overall well-being. They provide love, support, and a sense of belonging to you. Most importantly, they enhance your mental, emotional, and physical health.
Unhealthy relationships, on the other hand, have detrimental effects on your well-being. They cause you stress, anxiety, and depression. They diminish your sense of self-worth and often make you feel less of yourself.
Now let us learn more about the last point and understand how your relationships impact your wellness and well-being.
Here are a few ways to understand how your relationship with your partner is affecting your personal wellness
Healthy Relationships vs Unhealthy Relationships: 6 Ways How Your Relationships affect your Health
1. Longevity and life expectancy
A good and healthy relationship with your partner plays a very big role in your life expectancy and longevity. People with successful relationships and happy marriages live longer than unmarried men and women.
The phenomenon goes back and forth, i.e. adults with complicated relationships and poor connections with their partners are likely to have twice the risk of death as compared to people who are in a happy and fulfilled relationship. Your social connections play a very important role in your wellness.
2. Good heart health
Being happy in love is not just good for our emotions and feelings but it is also good for the health of your heart. Being in love decreases stress and anxiety and thus results in lower blood pressure which ultimately keeps the heart healthy.
According to a theory, people who are married or in love have half the risk of death from heart diseases as compared to people otherwise. This is because when in love your ANS (autonomic nervous system) performs better. The ANS is responsible for controlling the heart rate in the human body.
3. Less stress and anxiety
Along with all the physical benefits, being in a happy relationship is equally beneficial for your emotional wellness. As mentioned above, being in love reduces stress and anxiety. This strengthens your immune system. And the beautiful time spent with your partner plays a significant role to help you overcome everyday stress.
Regular physical intimacy is an important reason behind lower levels of stress. Also, the behavior of your partner outside the bedroom has a lot of impact on stress levels. General disagreements, parenting disputes, money matters, etc. lead to an increase in stress levels.
4. Weight loss
Owing to all the rush on social media about staying fit and being healthy, weight loss is a serious concern for most couples today. According to a 2012 review, couples motivate each other to stay healthy. A happy couple is more likely to hit the gym together, set goals, stay focused, and bring out the best in each other by feeling responsible for their habits together.
5. Feel-good hormones
Physical intimacy isn’t just about getting intimate. Little moments and behaviors like a normal hug, touching each other’s arms holding hands, and even a rub on the shoulders have been recorded to increase the levels of “feel good” hormones – oxytocin, vasopressin, and cortisol.
Oxytocin and vasopressin, when in love, interact with the dopamine system of the body. The dopamine system is responsible for feeling good when things are going positively or if any positive event happens around you. Vasopressin also helps in controlling blood pressure.
Cortisol rises quickly when you are in the initial stage of your relationship and slowly settles as the relationship progresses into long-term stability. These low levels of cortisol have several health benefits.
6. Sleep problems
A happy relationship is one of the keys to a peaceful sleep. Isn’t it? Would you go to bed peacefully after an argument with your partner? Obviously not. Sleeping next to someone you love, trust, and are happy with keeps you completely relaxed and allows you to embrace sleep, provided your partner doesn’t snore or is not suffering from insomnia.
Conclusion
This was a quick comparison of healthy relationships vs unhealthy ones and how they impact your life. Understanding this difference is crucial for cultivating positive connections and protecting your emotional and mental well-being.
By understanding these eight key differences, you can identify warning signs and make informed choices about the relationships you engage in. Because, we all deserve to be in a relationship that nurtures our growth, happiness, and overall fulfillment.
The relationships you have in your life play a very significant role in the personal wellness of an individual. As social beings, our relationships make a major part of our entire personality and wellness.
While all your relationships are extremely important, the relationship you have with your partner is in the highest position to affect your wellness out of all the relationships you have.
From your heart health to sleep cycles, from your feeling good to your mental health, it is related to all of it.
I hope I gave you some good reasons to work on your relationships and improve your bond with your partner.
Until next time,
I’ll see you soon!
