What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like?

by Natalie Treacy, aged 16

To me, a healthy relationship isn’t just something that you see in the movies, but something that you should want to be in. You shouldn’t be in a relationship just because somebody wants to be with you, but because you want to be with that person too.

Try to look at your relationship as a learning experience. When you first meet someone, you’re not instantly going to know everything about them after one date. After a period of time, you can find yourself learning different things about your partner that may improve your relationship, or make you realize that it might not work out after all.

A lot of the time, problems come up because people have different expectations of what their relationship “should” be like, or how they want their relationship to be. No matter what, it’s important to make sure that you and your partner know each other’s “boundaries” and expectations because you don’t want you or your partner to feel uncomfortable, hurt, or abused.

It’s also important to realize that relationships change over time. You may find yourself wanting something from your relationship that you didn’t when you first met your partner, or even the other way around.

In order to have a healthy relationship, you need to not only appreciate and respect your partner, but yourself as well. You don’t want to feel stuck or powerless in your relationship, or as if you have to be in it. You need to be true to yourself and your partner. You should be able to love and feel loved while embracing each other’s differences; be able to be yourself and let your partner be themselves, too. You should be able to listen and express to each other’s needs and feelings mentally and physically.

And remember, it’s okay to let a relationship go.