What Makes a Good Relationship? 30 Answers to This Vital Question

What makes a good relationship is not a one-size-fits-all answer. There are many important elements to a healthy relationship. Read on to learn more!

A good relationship is so important and can bring a huge amount of love and happiness to your existence. Understanding what makes a good relationship helps you form healthy attachments and love.

Relationships don’t have to be perfect all the time. However, they should be a positive thing in your life. And something you are always glad you have, with a willingness to work at, because, even when times get tough, you know it’s worth it and that the person you are in a relationship with is a key part of your life.

What makes a good relationship?

Often, when in relationships, we get a little off track, and that’s okay. We don’t need to throw in the towel at the first sign of things going a little wrong. However, sometimes it is a good idea to sit back, take a moment and reflect on what exactly makes a good relationship, and how we can work at ours to improve it.

Not everyone values the same things as important in a relationship. Knowing what you find important and what deal breakers you have, and making sure your partner knows them too is a good start. That way you stay on the same page and hopefully want the same things out of your relationship too.

So, what makes a good relationship? Let’s take a look!

#1 Remember the early stages. It’s very easy as time progresses to get stuck in the same old routine and forget to appreciate one another. And we stop making an effort. Remember the early, flirty stages, the great dates, the attention you showered on one another, the butterfly feeling. You don’t have to be like that all the time, but go back there occasionally.

#2 Tell them what you want. It’s important your partner knows what you want *not just in the bedroom!*. They are not a mind reader, so just make life easier for both of you and tell them.

#3 Be clear about your expectations. Make sure, early on, your expectations of the relationship and behavior within that is crystal clear. It’s important to make sure you are both on the same page, otherwise hurt, upset, and anger occur later down the line.

#4 Be honest. Keeping things and lying to one another always backfires. You will probably make yourself feel really guilty too.

#5 Communicate your feelings. Good communication is key to any relationship. Make sure you always take the time to communicate your feelings to your partner. If you don’t, you end up feeling distant from them.

#6 Get to know your partner inside out. Make the effort to really get to know your partner and make sure they do the same to you. Doing this brings you closer together and helps you understand one another more deeply.

#7 Forgive easily. People aren’t perfect and they will make mistakes. The more forgiving and accepting you are the better!

#8 Accept their flaws. Everyone has something that isn’t so great about them. Be it an annoying habit, baggage from an old relationship, or other insecurities. Accept your partner is flawed and you are too.

#9 Listen. When you talk to your partner don’t just go through the motions, actually engage with them and listen to what they say to you.

#10 Go on dates. Just because you’ve been together for a while doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go on dates anymore. Make time to go on a date at least once every week or so. You’ll appreciate the time together.

#11 Make time for intimacy. Intimacy is what plays a big part in what makes a good relationship. Being intimate is really important, so don’t let this part slip away.

#12 Keep things interesting. Don’t just stay in the same tired old routine. Get creative about how you spend your time together.

#13 Go on holiday together. Sometimes you need a break from your daily lives to relax and recuperate.

#14 Discuss the future. If you are in a good relationship, you probably see a future with this person. Discussing the future with your partner not only makes sure you are on the same page but also that you want the same things too!

#15 Resolve your fights or let them go. Every couple fights. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. But how you handle those disagreements is important. Either resolve your arguments, or if you can’t, just accept that and let them go.

#16 Accept you won’t see eye to eye on everything. You aren’t going to have the exact same opinion about everything. Sometimes you will get on each other’s nerves! That’s just part of being in a relationship. The sooner you accept this, the less it will bother you.

#17 Apologize meaningfully. When you say sorry, don’t do it just for the sake of it. You partner will know, and it only causes more upset.

#18 Have some independence. A good relationship doesn’t mean living out of one another’s pockets. Do things separately. And you’ll feel healthier and have time to miss each other!

#19 Admit your mistakes. if you make a mistake, the sooner you admit it, the better!

#20 Have patience. Being patient with your partner is important. There will be times you feel frustrated, but if you bite their head off at every little thing you’ll always be bickering. This ends up being pretty destructive.

#21 Be realistic. Being real about what a relationship involves and accepting that sometimes it is just hard work helps you through the tough times.

#22 Be affectionate and kind to one another. A little affection and kind words really make all the difference when it comes to developing a good, healthy relationship.

#23 Take care of each other. Make sure your partner feels loved and cared for. And you should feel the same from them too!

#24 Be respectful. Respect is a huge part of any successful relationship, so make sure you have respect and feel respected by your partner.

#25 Support one another. Support one another, help one another achieve what you want to achieve. Be one another’s biggest cheerleader and fan!

#26 Spend meaningful time together. Quality always trumps quantity. So, make sure the time you spend together is well spent.

#27 Keep checking in. It’s easy to assume just because you are happy and have no issues that your partner feels the same. Keep checking in with one another from time to time to make sure you both feel the same way.

#28 Be loyal. Being in a relationship requires loyalty and trust. Be loyal to your partner and trust they will do the same.

#29 Make sacrifices. There will be times where you make sacrifices for your relationship. Good relationships involve a lot of give and take. As long as you are not doing all the giving or all the taking then there will be a healthy balance.

#30 Laugh. Laughter really is the best medicine. It releases endorphins and makes us feel great, so make sure you have lots of fun together!

So, there you have it, 30 answers to what makes a good relationship. As long as both, you and your partner, want to be together and are willing to try to make your relationship the very best it can be, you know you are onto a good thing and that your relationship is worth fighting for.