We as human beings need companionship and while it is not easy to find the perfect partner, building and maintaining a healthy relationship is even harder than most people think. Do you think you have a perfect and healthy relationship? Go through the following essentials and see whether your relationship has them all, if not, you can still work on developing these characteristics.

Mutual respect

This is perhaps the single most important factor in a healthy relationship. If your partner does not truly respect you for the person you are, he/she is not going to value you, and it won’t be long before the relationship breaks apart over an ugly confrontation. Being put down or having to face embarrassment and humiliation means that the relationship is not worth your time and effort.

Trust

The whole point of having a relationship is to be with someone you can completely trust. If the two of you have trust issues, there is always going to be a wall in between and you can’t fully let go of yourself and be who you are. Each of you should believe in the other and not have to worry about truth, betrayal or dishonesty.

Breathing space

Being in a relationship does not mean you have to smother your partner. Spending some time on your own is as important as enjoying the time together. It is important to remember that every relationship has two individuals and both of them have had various interests and hobbies before they met each other. If there is no room for private and alone time in your relationship, it is certainly not healthy.

Willingness to adapt

Face it, life is hardly ever the same for too long. Things change, jobs, work, family, obligations and so many other things can come in between and your relationship needs to adapt in order for it to survive. If the two of you are open to accepting changes in each other’s lives and adapting to tackle them, your relation will survive the test of time.

Appreciation for each other

Even after you have formally committed to your partner, you still need to appreciate him/her and receive appreciation yourself. This does not mean you have to verbally laud everything he/she does, but simple gestures like doing something special or getting a nice gift can go a long way in showing your appreciation and admiration for your partner. Such gestures are essentially behind every healthy relationship.