Relationships

It takes two to create a healthy relationship, or does it? By connecting to our authentic selves, we have the power to transform any and every relationship in our lives.

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It’s no secret that it takes two to create and maintain a healthy relationship. Although I would agree with this statement,Honoring You in All Your Relationships Articles I also know there is a lot one person can do to change the dynamics of any relationship. And since none of us have the power to change another person, it only makes sense that the best place to start in our relationships is with ourselves.

At our local Super Walmart, there is a gentleman there by the name of George. George stands at the front door and enthusiastically greets everyone who walks into Walmart. He smiles at the guests and with a jubilant tone, he asks people how they’re doing. When he’s not talking to someone, he is singing and enjoying life wholeheartedly. George has the ability to change me and my mood, simply by being who he is. By honoring what is important to him – joy – he brings out the best in his Walmart relationships.

Our lives are touched by many relationships. While most of us define a relationship as existing between two people, there are other types of relationships as well. The one component of your relationships that remains constant, however, is you. So as we explore the relationships in your life, I want to invite you to ask yourself these important questions as it relates to each of these precious relationships.

© Who are you in this relationship?

© Who do you want to be in this relationship?

© What important values do you want to define this relationship?

© What needs are being met or not being met in this relationship?

© Is respect practiced in this relationship?

© Does this relationship give you positive energy? Or does it drain you?

© In what ways do you nurture this relationship?

© What changes need to occur in this relationship?

Relationship with God

God is your Rock. He is your foundation. He is the Source for an unending supply of love, peace, patience and wisdom. Since God is the Master Creator, He is the central point from which all other relationships are formed.

Relationship with Self

Without love and respect for yourself, it is difficult to love and respect others. An authentic relationship with you is critical to creating honest and open relationships with others. The relationship with self must be nurtured frequently so you can be emotionally and physically available to your other important relationships.

Relationship with Spouse

Although this relationship may or may not exist in your family, if it does, it is the link that ties your family together. This link must be strong enough to withstand the challenges of raising your children and building a healthy family.

Relationship with Children

These relationships are the reason we call ourselves mom. We have been entrusted by God to be their soul provider and protector. Our children depend on us for guidance, teaching, and most importantly, love.

Relationship with Parents and Siblings

These relationships were our primary relationships in life. It is where we practiced how to be in relationship with other people. Depending on what we learned in our early years, we may or may not want to model these relationships. Healing these first relationships significantly affects the health of our relationships today.

Relationship with Friends

Our friends, depending on who we choose, have the ability to be a great support for us. Friends meet significant emotional needs for women, and remind us that fun, sharing and bonding is important for our overall wellbeing.

Relationship with Boss, Coworkers and Clients

These relationships, if we work, take up a tremendous amount of our waking hours. Much of what we experience at work is brought home to our loved ones. Our working relationships can inspire us or drain us, so it’s important that we choose these relationships wisely.

Relationship with Time and Money

Although time and money are not human beings, they are precious commodities in our life. How we choose to spend our time affects every relationship in our lives. Our relationship with money holds energy in our lives. We have the ability to attract or repel money depending on how we treat it.

In each of these and other significant relationships, you are a vital contributor. Who you are in each of these relationships can make or break the quality that you experience. So be yourself and align you relationships with your values. Make the time to nurture your relationships because, in the end, relationships are all that really matter.

Extensive evidence shows that having good-quality relationships can help us to live longer and happier lives with fewer mental health problems. Having close, positive relationships can give us a purpose and sense of belonging.

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Humans are social beings. Mahatma Gandhi wrote: “Where there is love,HOW DO RELATIONSHIPS DEAL WITH OUR MENTAL HEALTH? Articles there is life.” Whether you consider yourself a social butterfly, are drawn to personal interactions, or prefer your own business, there is no denying that the quality of your personal relationships can affect your levels of happiness, well-being and physical health. This article highlights how relationships can protect our mental health.

All of our lives we depend on each other to survive. Being self-aware allows us to see this need, prompting us to seek enriching relationships in our efforts to connect with others. Keep in mind that relationships go beyond being romantic and include family, friends, and coworkers. Researchers believe that people spend 80% of their time in front of others, so maintaining positive and healthy relationships is important. According to the Mental Health Foundation, a relationship is “the way two or more people are connected, or the state of connection.”

Mental health problems can have a profound impact on a person’s close relationships; Expressing emotions and connecting with others can be challenging.212 Experiences of depression can make us want to withdraw and isolate ourselves, and avoid social contact, making it difficult to maintain relationships with our friends and family.213 Social anxiety can make it very difficult for someone to form and maintain relationships due to overwhelming fear and consequent avoidance of social situations.214 Similarly, people with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, have reported problems with close relationships due to difficulties they experience. They can have to express and share how they feel.

Social connections are really good for us and loneliness kills. People who are more socially connected to family, friends, or the community are happier, physically healthier, and live longer than people who are less connected.

It is not just the number of friends you have, and whether or not you are in a committed relationship, what matters is the quality of your close relationships. Living in conflict or in a toxic relationship is more harmful than being alone.
Good relationships not only protect our bodies, they also protect our brains. Good quality relationships were associated with sharper memory.
The Mental Health Foundation defines relationships as “the way two or more people are connected, or the state of connection.” Research explored in this report shows that social connection and good relationships can make us happier and enhance our sense of well-being9 by giving us a sense of security, support, and meaning in our lives.

Relationships require reflection, time, courage, and grace. Modern life often reduces the space to do this. Many of us are under pressure, whether it’s tests, work commitments, or financial pressure. In a message to decision makers and the public, our report reinforces the message that productivity should not come at the expense of our collective ability to connect with one another.

Research has shown that family relationships are critical to children’s happiness, highlighting quality as one of the six domains of life, along with health, personal finances, education and skills, that contribute the most to well-being general of children.

Many of these relationships can help us maintain our mental health, but relationships are often complex and any of these relationships can create difficulties and challenges that negatively affect us.

While being in a relationship can have positive health benefits, it is important to recognize that unhappy relationships are more destructive than being single. Research has shown that bad or unhappy relationships have a greater negative impact on physical and mental health than not being in a relationship.

While intimate relationships can have significant positive effects on our mental health and well-being, not all relationships go smoothly, and even those that do can go through difficult times.

Losing relationships through grief has significant potential to isolate and exclude them later in life. People aged 75 and over are the most isolated and lonely, as they are more likely to envy and live alone. Women are at higher risk of isolation because they live longer than men, and older women are more than twice as likely as older men to feel trapped in their own homes. Research shows that there is an increased risk of the elderly going to nursing homes or sheltered housing after the loss of a partner.

Relationships with the people we love are the foundation of our lives. However, the importance of our relationships goes beyond how they affect our emotional well-being. The evidence is clear that the quality of relationships even affects how long we live. Relationships require reflection, time, courage, and grace. Modern life often reduces the space to do this. Many of us are under pressure, whether it’s tests, work commitments, or financial pressure. In a message to decision makers and the public, our report reinforces the message that productivity should not come at the expense of our collective ability to connect with each other. Healthy relationships can not only add years to our lives, but also give us a greater sense of purpose in the years that we are. You owe it to yourself and to those around you to take care of your close relationships; you will probably find that it is worth the effort.