5 Essential Ingredients In A Relationship
Have you ever wondered what are the essential ingredients in a relationship? What is necessary for a relationship to be healthy and also work?
It is clear that each couple is different and that not all of us need the same thing. However, we find in psychology some generic ideas that should be applicable to all those relationships that seek to become healthy relationships, such as mutual respect.
We bring you 5 essential ingredients in a relationship that have to do with communication, trust, humor, respect and, above all, love. After reading them, we encourage you to answer the following: would you add any more to the list?
Look into each other’s eyes
And it is that an act as daily and apparently simple as looking into each other’s eyes constitutes one of the essential ingredients in a relationship. Why? Because when two people look directly into each other’s eyes, they have the ability to connect. That is, connect on another level, on a more emotional level.
That phrase already says it, “when looks speak, words are silent”. Look yourself in the eyes with your partner and perhaps you see how, despite everything, the chemistry is still there. In relation to the aforementioned, Michael Ellsberg, author of The Power of Eye Contact, affirms that when you establish eye contact with another person, you, in a certain way, offer that person a glimpse of your emotional world.
Laugh together
Laughing together, like looking each other in the eye, connects people a lot, strengthens the bond and fosters personal trust. When we laugh we enjoy, we feel pleasure, and we experience precisely that pleasure from the release of endorphins and other substances in our brain. What about the things that make us enjoy? That we want to experience them again. And what better than to repeat happy moments with our partner?
As a curious fact, a study by a team of researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine suggests that a sense of humor is an attractive trait. The study found that women showed higher activity than men in the brain regions involved with the reward while reacting to a joke. In addition, the study also concludes that women have evolved to appreciate humor, while men have evolved to produce it.
Always respect
Respect is another essential ingredient in a relationship. Respect implies listening to the opinion of the other even if we do not share it, not insulting, speaking well, taking the other into consideration, accepting their defects, being sincere … That is, the act of respect involves a large number of actions and attitudes, and all of them They are related to a strengthening of the bond and a greater trust between the couple.
Also, the moment a couple disrespect each other, they are more likely to do it again in the future, and that can end up generating very toxic dynamics within the relationship.
Spend time together
Spending time with a person is one of the greatest tests of love you can offer someone. If for reasons X cannot spend physical time with that person, that is, see you physically, at least try to find time to call you, talk … This in a couple becomes crucial, because spending time together implies more opportunities to meet and create memories shared.
Thus, with this ingredient we refer, not so much to spending time physically together (which if possible, better than better), but rather to spending time with each other, in general. In addition, spending time with your partner also allows you, in addition to the above, to put an end to possible conflicts if they exist.
Listen to the other
In relation to a point already mentioned (respect), we also propose another of the essential ingredients in a relationship: active listening. Listening to your partner actively implies showing interest in what he explains, asking him, showing attention, discussing, etc.
It is an act of love and respect for the other, in addition, that we all like to be heard, right? And we can always learn something from each other through active listening. On the other hand, it is one more way to improve communication and trust between the two.
Final reflection on love and relationships
Healthy or healthy relationships are those in which there is trust, sincerity and mutual respect, in addition to love. Each couple must find their own formula to enjoy the relationship while learning with (and from) the other without interfering with their personal freedom.
The ideas that we have brought you are just some examples, although we could find more: practice assertive and transparent communication, be honest, look for moments of tranquility and intimacy … The list is endless, although the ingredients explained are, surely, some of the most necessary to build a relationship in which to enjoy and be yourself.
Let’s not forget that love is the basis of relationships, but that these must also be built little by little and with the real interest of both members (they are not built alone).
