Whether we’re referring to our parents, spouse, children, brothers and sisters, or friends, the relationships we have with others are central to our mental health and well-being. Research shows that healthy relationships can add years to your life, help you deal with stress, and even improve your physical health.
Relationships can be romantic, platonic or mutually beneficial — with the important thing being that they’re mutual and based on a sense of respect and trust. A healthy relationship also includes shared interests, affection, mutual support and understanding, intimacy, and deep love.
A lot of people have many relationships — from casual acquaintances who you see around town and talk about surface-level things, to close friends with whom you regularly spend time. It’s generally not necessary to have all of these kinds of relationships in order to be happy, but it’s usually a good idea to focus on those with whom you have a strong connection and who make you feel loved and cherished.
The word “relationship” also can refer to an interconnected network of individuals, such as a group of students or an organization like a school board. These types of relationships tend to be more stable because they have clear rules and expectations.
Then there are the unhealthy relationships — the ones that you might call “friends with benefits” or just use one another for sex. Or, the rebound, where you get out of a relationship too quickly and fall into a new relationship to try to make yourself feel better.