Love in all Relationships

INDIVIDUAL MENTAL HEALTHCOUPLESRELATIONSHIPS
Written By Peachey Counselling

February 14th is met with the expectation of giving your partner lots of love, flowers, and chocolates. Although romantic relationships are the focus during this time of year, many individuals have loving relationships with friends, family, and most importantly, themselves.

There are many ways to show our admiration and appreciation for all those we interact with year-round. Many of our relationships allow us to thrive and flourish every day. Ultimately, these relationships allow us to create our support systems to ensure that we are mentally healthy - day in and out.

 

Let’s address what makes a healthy relationship.

A relationship involves caring about someone else at a deep and meaningful level. A healthy relationship is genuine, honest and respectful, and joins two lives together. Of course, you will never have the "perfect relationship" because perfect relationships don't exist. But if you constantly grow, you will continuously improve what you have with any individual. Being attuned with one another allows you to understand and resonate with each other - this will enable you to feel seen and heard, which leads to feeling validated. Also, transparency and communication are key factors; you would rather know the truth, even if that means work is needed. Along with that, communication in general, whether verbal or nonverbal, is crucial. It allows us to speak on what we need or desire to help our relationships grow and solidify further.


Now, let's go over the benefits of a few types of relationships.

Friendships

Friendships are a fantastic source of support; we get to share interests and experiences with those similar to us and with whom we can create organic bonds. Another significant aspect of friendship is that we can, in effect, pick who we are friends with! These individuals likely share interests, goals, experiences, and values, enabling us to show trust and respect towards them. Friendships ultimately make things more enjoyable, even if we are going through rough times. When we have friends there to support us, it can make situations seem less challenging and allow us to look past our barriers into the future. They can also act as a sounding board or a fresh perspective when you encounter a challenge.

Also, making friends doesn't have to be difficult or scary! By joining different groups or activities, you can connect with people you already have similar interests with, making a topic of conversation easy and relatable. Overall, friendships are core relationships that allow individuals to be themselves without judgment or fear. Friends do not just enrich our lives, but we also provide the same feelings back to our friends! It is a positive cycle that allows us to be our true selves with friends that we care about.

Family Relationships

Relationships with family are significant to many individuals. Whether the relationships are with your parents, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, or grandparents, the tie of being family members makes us respect and trust these individuals in our lives. Healthy family relationships help us solve conflict easily, accept different opinions, and maintain a level of love and trust in our lives. Although dealing with family can be complex or contentious at times, it is essential to remember that we can create healthy boundaries with our relatives. These boundaries are another way to improve positive communications. In addition, they can enhance the quality of time families have with each other, as your wants and needs are being prioritized. Additionally, this allows us to feel supported. Therefore, we can go to our family if we have challenges for their input and assistance. 

We are exposed to all the things that make our family members wonderful and unique! It makes everyone feel supported; it encourages everyone to be proud of themselves. Sharing stories or memories is a great way to highlight our family relationships. Often there are many 'you had to be there' moments for family trips, inside jokes, or other unique experiences because they were done with family.

Romantic Relationships

Not all relationships need to be romantic to be meaningful. However, many individuals seek romantic relationships for various reasons. These relationships provide a sense of deep trust, reliability, and love that is different from family and friends. These relationships are often more intimate, both physically and emotionally, making them pertinent in individuals' lives. Maintaining a healthy romantic relationship requires consistent care and communication, as it leads to feeling heard and understood in various situations. 

These concepts are also linked to how individuals should feel confident their partner is willing to provide them with their time and attention. Individuals in healthy romantic relationships may also give their partners the benefit of the doubt more often. This may be because it can increase the sense of being on the same team and always being there for one another, particularly if things get challenging. In addition, there can be a sense of security and trust in romantic relationships that genuinely allow individuals to be themselves in a vulnerable setting, which takes time and compassion. Although romantic relationships are fuelled by love, it is essential to remember that love must be accompanied by many other aspects of caring for individuals to feel fulfilled. Having a well-rounded relationship means that you trust, love, and support each other no matter what. 

Self Love Relationships

The relationship we have with ourselves can be the most intimate and difficult one. We are our own harshest critics and often criticize ourselves for various reasons. By showing ourselves love and appreciation, we can also boost how we feel and the self-esteem we carry every day. By starting with some self-compassion, empathy, and kind words, we can ensure that we treat ourselves how we would treat others. Another aspect of ensuring we love ourselves is understanding that no two people are alike. Comparing ourselves to other individuals is counterproductive, as everyone is unique and success looks different to everyone. Additionally, nobody is perfect. There is no point in finding flaws in yourself when nobody is the model human. Focus on what you love about yourself- we’re sure there’s lots!

It is crucial to mirror this behaviour in our everyday lives. It is also important to note that self-love isn't just saying yes to things we love doing. It also is essential to say no to what doesn't serve us. Setting boundaries is key for ensuring we are not overworking ourselves or falling into self-sabotaging behaviours. This is truly a skill. However, like most skills, practice and consistency is key to ensuring we become a master of self-love. Self-love can be practiced every day and allows us to be the best version of ourselves!


Ultimately, we want to feel that we matter and are loved and appreciated in every relationship we are a part of. This can be especially difficult when there are norms around certain times of the year when one may not be 'romantically' in a relationship with someone. However, it is important to understand that many aspects of love and kindness exist in life with people who truly matter to us. Unconditional love is something that we as human beings crave. We can get that satisfaction from others in our lives in non-romantic ways. Having supportive relationships allows us to feel loved, which matters most to many individuals.

Whatever it is, we’re here for you.

Life is uncertain. Jobs are stressful. Parenting is hard. Relationships take work. Families can be dysfunctional. And, sometimes love hurts. When you’re confronted by feelings, events, or issues that are making your life challenging, it’s okay to ask for some help.

Contact us for a free consultation

Peachey Counselling
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