Habits of Healthy Couples

A healthy relationship can look different to all of us, but there are some constants:

• You Feel Safe In Your Relationship ~ You can share your innermost feelings with your partner without the fear of being judged. Your experiences together are safe in that place and aren't shared with others. It's your little secret. Shhhh....

• You See The Best In Each Other ~ You don't point out each other's flaws. You celebrate your differences and draw on each other's strengths. If you look for something wrong you can always find it. And ultimately if you look for something good you can find that too.

• You Let Each Other Know What You Want ~ In a healthy relationship you tell each other what you want, not what you don't want. You give constructive comments instead of criticizing.

• You Show Love Every Day ~ You don't wait for Valentine's Day or special occasions to show you love your partner.  It doesn't have to be a grand gesture, sometimes it's the little things that count.

• You Spend Time Together ~ It's not about the quantity of time but more about the quality of the time you spend. He can prep while you cook, or you two can lay in bed next to each other while reading a book. Find time to connect on an emotional level.

At the end of the day a healthy relationship should make you feel energized instead of feeling drained.

Put Them On The "Don't" Date List

You're single and feeling good about yourself and it seems that everyone is attracted to you. Or, your single and feeling sorry for yourself and you're attracted to everyone.  Well, before moving forward on your options, strike these people off of your list:

• Your Boss ~ Waiting! Is he rating your job performance or your performance in bed. Either way this can go bad real quick. And that promotion he promised?  How many special projects do you have to complete before you say an increase in your paycheck.

• Your Son's Best friend ~  He sure looks good stretched out on your sofa while he and your son are watching the game. And he sure loves your buffalo wings. But this is a relationship you want to steer clear of.  Your son definitely won't appreciate watching you two make out, and you can forget about him ever calling his boy "Stepdad."

• Your Best friend's Ex ~ There is never a good way to navigate this. It will always be uncomfortable and your Bestie will always wonder if the two of you were playing footsie behind her back.

• Your Ex's Brother ~  Don't think for one minute they're not over there comparing notes. And your ex is telling him all kinds of horrible things about you. And his family?  Don't think for one second you're going to get an invitation to the family reunion. 

As attractive as they may seem take some pause, and meet and date someone outside of your inner circle. It will cut down on the messiness and could possibly extend the life of a budding relationship.