No matter what your social network and romantic life look like, your relationship with yourself is something fundamental. It is something that will affect you throughout, well, the rest of your life.
“How we treat ourselves, our self-esteem, affects how well we look after ourselves and our ability to build good resilience,” the NHS states.
Some things that can help your self-esteem include positive thinking, reframing unhelpful thoughts, and finding more neutral alternatives to negative thoughts and rumination.
In the meantime, at the core of building and maintaining positive relationships with others, you will find things like respect, support, openness, honesty, and good communication.
“Being able to speak openly about the way you are feeling and, in turn, listening to your partner, friend, or family member can strengthen relationships, reduce relationship anxiety, and help to protect your mental wellbeing.”
On top of that, you should practice active listening. Pro-tip: If you are simply waiting for your turn to speak in a conversation, you’re not actively listening or engaging with the other person.
Moreover, you strengthen your relationships with those people that you actually spend time with. So, put in the effort to regularly check in with your friends and loved ones. Meet in person when you can. Call them and text them when you can’t. From your experience, it helps to plan live meet-ups in advance in specific detail because everyone is super busy with adulting. The upside is that having a set date you can look forward to is refreshing and energizing.
These are common-sense things, but you’d be surprised by how many problems pop up because someone can’t communicate their wants, needs, and boundaries because they feel embarrassed, awkward, or judged.
Which of these posts about married life did you find the most relatable, dear Pandas?
How do you and your significant other keep your relationship happy and healthy, no matter how many years pass?
What advice would you give newlyweds who feel a bit stressed and overwhelmed by it all?
Do you have any fun date ideas that you’d like to share with all of us?
We’d love for you to share your thoughts, tips, and experiences in the comments.
