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What is Relationship?

Human beings are social creatures. We cannot survive or peacefully exist, without coexisting and building relationships with one another. A relationship is like a bond built with another living being during a lifespan. They are extremely important and are indeed the crux of a person’s life.

 

WHY RELATIONSHIPS MATTER AND HOW THEY AFFECT OUR MENTAL WELL BEING.

Ask yourself this, will you be able to survive if you are left entirely alone, with no one by your side – just you and your solitude. I’ll answer it for you – no. You cannot. This is because human beings are wired in a way that makes it insanely tough for them to survive without companionship at any stage of their lives. Relationships are built on a foundation of trust, which is extremely crucial in a person’s life. No matter how old someone maybe- they do need a shoulder to cry on.

Humans have never been solitary beings. The relationships we build are literally the foundations of a meaningful life. We are constantly surrounded by others and yes, no matter how much we deny it, we do define ourselves by our relationships. We need people to depend on for our survival, be it physical or spiritual. It gives us the mental peace we require. Imagine living the most lavish life possible without having someone to share it with. Sounds tragic, doesn’t it? That is why building relationships is important and why relationships matter so much.

HOW DO PEOPLE FIND LOVE?

This is the most commonly asked question among almost every age group and today, I shall try to break this down for you the way I see it.

I do not believe that love has to be “found” in the sense that we need to chase it.

Love, at least true love, will always find a way to get to you.

Firstly, to love and to be loved is an essential part of every living being’s life. We all require affection, no matter how tough an exterior we put up. We do need the validation to help us sleep at night. Like it or not, this is the truth.

In my (very unpopular) opinion, love comes from within. How do you expect someone else to love you and give you their all if you cannot do it for yourself? And why must love be considered an attribute that we only associate with others? Why can’t we be the love we so dearly crave? To be completely honest, real love, non-toxic, pure love – will only come to you once you start living yourself and seeing your own worth. The happiest relationships are built on the foundations of trust which only truly comes through self-acceptance.

People do not find love. Love finds them.

HOW TO BUILD A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP AND HOW TO MAINTAIN IT.

First of all, what is a healthy relationship?

A healthy relationship is one wherein you accept a person entirely, flaws and all, and make peace with all of it and take them as they are. You learn to look beyond the imperfections and start recognizing who they really are. The side they don’t show the world.

A healthy relationship requires a few factors,

Trust

One of the most important things in a relationship without which, it will never work.

Compassion.

Non-toxicity.

Being able to let go of things that do not matter.

These are a few things without which, a relationship can’t possibly be called healthy. Be it romantic or platonic.

To build healthy relationships, we must learn to recognize our own flaws along with other’s flaws. To be able to let go of our pettiness and to give importance to someone else’s well being, to incorporate them in our lifestyle.

Maintaining a healthy relationship is definitely tougher than building one, but it is also important to be able to maintain the bonds we create and to be able to invest our time in them, so as to lead a happy life.

COMMUNICATE with the people you build relationships with. They could be your colleagues, your family, your friends, or a significant other. Make sure to check up on them and hang out with them whenever it is convenient for both ends to make it. An extremely crucial part of a relationship is being able to prioritize, compartmentalize, and make time for a person you build that relationship with.

Is Sex Life an Important Factor in a Relationship

Sex life is also an important factor in a relationship with a significant other. The first thing to keep in mind is that it must be consensual. Never force someone to do something they aren’t comfortable with. Secondly, communicate. Talk and discuss what you and your partner like and what works for both of you. Both sides must be satisfied, or else – it’s just pointless.

CHALLENGES IN A RELATIONSHIP AND DIFFERENCE IN PERSONALITIES.

All the five fingers on a hand are different, and it is the same with people. Everyone has different preferences and one must never settle for anything lesser than what they think they deserve. Uphold your worth. Always.

The main challenges in a relationship stem from the insecurities deep-rooted within a person. They are often related to a person’s childhood and the family they come from. These insecurities are enough to break a relationship and weaken the very core of it.

Lying, infidelity, mistrust, not being able to make time for someone are some of the main challenges a relationship goes through. Fights are inevitable, but what’s important is to talk it out and sort things instead of letting them escalate. Everyone has different personalities and interests and to be able to coexist with them and incorporate ourselves in their lives is what matters.

THE END OF RELATIONSHIPS:

HOW BREAKUPS / DIVORCES AFFECT OUR MENTAL HEALTH.

I’m not going to use any flowery language or sugarcoat this in any way, breakups hurt. Divorces are even worse. Sharing something special with someone and investing so much time and effort into something that ends up breaking your heart is painful. But it is a part and parcel of life and growing up.

Breakups can be extremely hurtful, sometimes even physically painful. To imagine a future with someone and then watch it all come crashing down is horrible. It’s almost like giving away a part of yourself to somebody. A part of you that belonged to them and you will never be whole without it again. But life goes on, and we learn to live with it. We make peace with the fact that some people just aren’t meant for us and we are way better off without them in our lives.

Divorces, on the other hand, are worse. In most marriages more often than not, families are involved. Kids are involved. So a split between two people is literally a split of a family, a home built by two people, together. There are a number of reasons for divorce but they all have one thing in common – It leaves people utterly devastated. And it’s only worse when there are kids involved – custody battles, the lack of a parent, living in a broken home, all of it takes a huge toll on the mental health of the children as well as the adults.

People may even get depressed and indulge in horrible habits like alcoholism and drug addiction, become abusive, etc.

RELATIONSHIP ADVICE.

How to take care of your relationship and cherish it and how to make it last.

The best advice anybody can give in this context is to learn how to accept and let go, this in no way means that you must compromise or settle for less than you deserve, but you must never invalidate or undermine your partner’s feelings or insecurities.

Be gentle in your approach for they may be going through issues you might know nothing about. Open up and allow them to do so too.

Give them enough space to live in peace and focus on themselves.

Treat them as you wish to be treated.

Last but not the least, GROW with them. Encourage them to give their best in everything that they do and to be the best possible versions of themselves. Your partner and you must bring out the best in each other, only then can y’all truly grow and glow together.