6 tips to improve your connections during Healthy Relationships Month

February is Healthy Relationships Month

As a Peer Health Educator at the Center for Campus Wellness, I think it’s important to acknowledge that strong relationships are important for maintaining our overall well-being. Healthy relationships include respect, support, balance, and positivity, and are applicable to many relationships in our lives! 

This February, maybe you want to improve your relationship with self-love which could look like talking kinder to yourself or respecting your needs without compromising. This month is also a great time to consider ways to build intentional bonds with friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, and partners.

Here are a few simple (yet powerful) tips to strengthen relationships:

 

 ♡ Communication is Key

Good communication includes talking honestly, as well as listening with an open mind. Express your feelings, but also listen to others generously without interrupting. If something bothers you, address it calmly and promptly rather than bottling it up.

 

 ♡ Respect Boundaries

Everyone has their own personal limits — physical, emotional, digital — and it is essential that those are respected. Let us all try to give people the space they need, ask before sharing personal details, and not pressure anyone to do things they aren’t comfortable with.

Learn more about setting boundaries by practicing with our Wellness Coaches or checking out this awesome guide written by a local Utah author!

 

 

 ♡ Trust and Honesty Matter

Trust is one of the foundational building blocks of a strong relationship. Be honest about your feelings and actions. If trust in a meaningful relationship is broken, it will take time, consistency, and effort to rebuild it. Avoid lying or keeping secrets that could hurt the other person.

One example of a trust building with a partner could look like discussing safe(r) sex options and getting tested to show you care about your partner’s wellbeing.  

 

 ♡ Support Each Other

A healthy relationship means being there for each other. Celebrate your successes together and offer comfort to each other during tough times. Check in on your loved ones and remind them that they’re not alone by initiating conversations or making time for each other.  If someone checks in on you, practice gratitude and let them know that you appreciate being in their thoughts 

 

 ♡ Handle Conflict in a Healthy Way

Disagreements happen, but how you handle them makes a difference. Instead of blaming, take a deep breath, stay respectful, and try to find a solution together because you are on the same team. Sometimes, taking a break and coming back to the conversation at a later time helps.

Free support is available on campus for students, faculty, and staff who have experienced various forms of violence, abuse, or harm through our Violence and Harm Support program.

 

 ♡ Prioritize Self-Care

Healthy relationships start with a healthy you. Make sure that you’re taking care of your own well-being. It’s completely alright to take time for yourself when you need it.

If you feel lost on where to start, know that you don’t have to go alone. Find your path to wellbeing with the free support of a Peer Well-being Navigator.  

Healthy relationships do take effort, but they make life so much better. If you need support or resources to continue working on these healthy relationship practices, please reach out to us!