KNOW THE SIGNS! 10 SIGNS OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS Healthy relationships bring out the best in you and make you feel good about yourself. A healthy relationship does not mean a “perfect” relationship, and no one is healthy 100% of the time, but the signs below are behaviors you should strive for in all your relationships.
Comfortable Pace
Trust
Confidence that your partner won’t do anything to hurt you
The relationship moves at a speed that works foras each person. Healthy relationships manifest themselves healthy communication, but have a healthy relationship, or to ruin the relationship. you need to love yourself first. Here are some characteristics and behaviors of a healthy relationship.
Examples:
Comfortable Pace
Examples:
Trust
• Romantic: Communicating your boundaries early on • Romantic: Taking your partner’s word when they tell (i.e. “I really like you, but I’m not a big fan of having you what they did that day, and not second guessing my phone on me during the school day. Feel free to their truthfulness. text me as often as you’d like, but know that I likely • Friendship: When a friend confides in you about dowon’t get back to you until later!”) ing something embarrassing, keeping it to yourself • Friendship: Taking time to yourself when you need it. and offering support. • LGBTQ+: Respecting a person’s timeline in their • LGBTQ+: Feeling comfortable sharing one’s private You can be truthful and candid without coming out process.fearing how the other thoughts, feelings, etc. and not worrying that they are You have space to be yourself outside of the relationship. • Team: Upper classmen encouraging younger not going to be exposed. person will respond. teammates to show up at whatever team activities • Team: Believing your teammate if they have to miss they’re comfortable with, no pressure. practice for an important event.
» The relationship Honesty
moves at a speed that feels enjoyable for each person.
Examples:
Honesty
» You have confidence Independence
that your partner won’t do anything to hurt you or ruin the relationship.
Examples: • Romantic: Opening up about past dating experiences and sharing what you learned from them • Romantic: You schedule nights or times to hang out with your partner. with your friends without your partner. • Friendship: Telling your friend you need to skip plans • Friendship: You spend time with other friends/ friend because you need time to yourself – and knowing groups- guilt free! they won’t guilt you into coming anyway. • LGBTQ+: Feeling comfortable spending time alone • LGBTQ+: Being truthful with one another about and with different friend groups both in and outside You value one another’s beliefs and opinions and love another everyone puts the same effort boundaries regarding outness, publicone displays ofThe relationship feels balanced of theand LGBTQ+ community. affection, etc. • Team:of Taking time to create friendships and join for who you are as a person. into the success thethe relationship. • Team: Candidly discussing how the team could have clubs outside of your sport. performed better in practice or during a game.
» You can be truthful
Independence
Respect and candid without
» You have space to Equality
Respect Examples:
Examples: Equality
fearing how the other person will respond.
» You value one
• Romantic: Asking for and honoring your partners boundaries (physical, digital, etc). • Friendship: Planning activities that both of you enjoy (i.e. going to a museum/park vs. a bar). • LGBTQ+: Using correct gender pronouns and name. • Team: Respect teammate’s boundaries around how You are caring and empathetic to one another, and provide much time they want to spend with the team socially comfort and or “off the support. field.”
Kindness another’s beliefs and
opinions and love one another for who you are as people.
Examples:
Kindness
be yourself outside of the relationship.
• Romantic: Household chores are split evenly between both partners • Friendship: You switch off choosing the place you meet for dinner every time you hang out. • LGBTQ+: Combatting stereotypes within LGBTQ+ relationship dynamics. • Team: The coach creates an environment where feels likeand therewords. is no favoritism in deciding Owning your everyone own actions who will get play time, everyone knows they have a chance.
» The relationship feels
Taking balanced Responsibility and everyone puts the same effort into the success of the relationship.
Examples:
• Romantic: Apologizing to your partner after • Romantic: Sending your partner a quick text letting saying something hurtful without placing any blame them know you are thinking about them. on them. • Friendship: Showing up to support your friend at an • Friendship: Apologize for forgetting to invite your event that is important to them. friend to a party, and making an intentional effort to • LGBTQ+: Understand that everyone has different include them in the next activity. timelines for coming out. • LGBTQ+: Openly apologize if you misgender/dead Openly and respectfully discussing andor confronting • Team: Reach outissues to an upset disappointed name someone. You enjoy spending time together and bring out the best in each other teammate after a game and let them know they’ll do • Team: After picking up a penalty, the player owns his disagreements non-judgmentally. great next time, and you support them! mistake in the teams next huddle and vows to stay more focused.
» You Conflict are caring and Healthy
empathetic toward one another and provide comfort and support.
Examples: Healthy Conflict
• Romantic: Accepting your partner’s honest & sincere apology and being willing to forgive them. • Friendship: Disagreeing on what to do for a night out and deciding to vote as a group to make the choice. • LGBTQ+: No matter what conflict is going on, always respecting your loved ones’ identities, bodies, feelings, needs, and more! • Team: After an outburst during a practice, the two people involved meet up after the game to talk about what they felt and what happened.
» You openly and
respectfully discuss issues and confront disagreements nonjudgmentally.
Adapted from One Love Foundation, joinonelove.org.
Taking Responsibility
» Fun You own your own
actions and words.
Examples:
Fun
• Romantic: Scheduling a weekly date night and cooking new recipes together. • Friendship: For a friend’s birthday, planning a day full of their favorite activities. • LGBTQ+: Getting involved in LGBTQ+ communities together. • Team: A great practice before a big game or tournament that gets the team excited and locked in.
» You enjoy spending
time together and bring out the best in each other.
For more information on healthy relationships, please contact Brittany Rhoden at StudentTitleIX@hofstra.edu or 516-463-5841.
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