3 Ways to Keep Your Relationships Healthy

image

Relationships can be a complicated affair, but they are also one of the most significant aspects of our life. The quality of our lives is often dependent on the quality of our relationships. Whether it is a parent-child relationship, a husband-wife relationship, or a relationship between friends, let us look at three tips that can help us keep out relationships healthy, and help us live a more relaxed and fulfilling life.

#1 Making Love Your Quality

Love is a quality within us, and need not be dependent on having an external object to love. If we consciously create and nourish the quality of love within us, we make our own lives pleasant and can look upon others lovingly. This can naturally pave the way for a better relationship. Of course, being loving doesn’t mean you become a doormat. When you truly love, you are willing to do what is necessary in a given situation for someone – even when it may sometimes be unpleasant for your companion. This is the meaning of true love.

#2 What is the basis of your relationship

It is important to be aware of why we get into relationships. Relationships are essentially a means to fulfill our needs of various kinds, whether physical, mental, social or otherwise. Instead of being aware of this reality, if we choose to overly romanticize these needs, we might create unreal expectations around our relationships. Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla and mystic Sadhguru discussed recently, how maintaining this awareness will help us stay grounded in our relationships, and create a firm basis to mature them to the next level.

This is not to say that we need to look at our relationships as gross transactions. Rather, they may begin because of certain needs, but can evolve into a greater possibility where two beings could function as one.

#3 Cultivate your joy

Being a joyful human being is a great way to not only maintain healthy relationships but also attract the right kind of people towards you. Advice columnist Raveena Tandon, who also hosts a TV show, says that the practice of meditation can help cultivate a natural sense of joy within us. As the saying goes, “Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Cry, and you cry alone.” Joyful people naturally gravitate towards other joyful people. However, joy is also quite contagious, and can help bring a smile to a sad face. Note that joy doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be an over-the-top display. Like love, joy too can be an understated pleasantness within oneself.

Ananya Mathur