RELATIONSHIPS take work - we've all heard that one before. And it's true. Having a fulfilling relationship takes constant effort and emotional investment.
But it's also true that for the work to pay off, you need to build on a solid foundation. If you don't have one, things can get shaky pretty quickly. Or it might seem fine but then suddenly fall apart.
So what makes for a solid foundation? Experts agree it's all about how you communicate with and treat each other.
Here experts share seven signs of a healthy relationship and why they're a good indicator of whether you and your partner will be able to go the distance.
1 YOU RESPECT EACH OTHER'S BOUNDARIES
"Boundaries are just two people recognising each other's limits, their values, their past, their personal I space and their privacy," says Irish psychotherapist Darren Magee, who discusses mental-health issues on his YouTube channel. "And it must work both ways.
Couples in a healthy relationship feel comfortable setting boundaries and are confident their partner will respect those boundaries.
It isn't up to your partner to decide whether a boundary is reasonable or not, says Lauren Moss, a counselling psychologist based in Sandton, Johannesburg. "Respecting your partner as an autonomous adult means you also respect that they can decide what their boundaries are.
"In a healthy relationship, this is shown by honouring the boundary, even if it doesn't make sense to you," she tells YOU.
It's all about respecting your partner's beliefs and opinions. "You shouldn't try to coerce, convince or manipulate your partner into changing their position," says Joburg-based relationship expert Paula Quinsee.
2 YOU AGREE TO DISAGREE SOMETIMES
Denne historien er fra 25 August 2022-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra 25 August 2022-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
BALLON IN THE BAG
Manchester City midfielder Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante says his Ballon d'Or win is a victory for Spanish football
IT WAS ALL A LIE
A new doccie exposes the Grey's Anatomy writer who fabricated her life story
'I WILL NEVER GIVE UP'
After her husband, anticorruption activist Alexei Navalny, was poisoned and murdered by the Kremlin, she became the public face of Russia's opposition. In this candid interview Yulia Navalnaya opens up about life on the run, her perilous family life and why she's continuing her husband's fight to save their country
AGREE TO DISAGREE
Trevor Noah on how his childhood squabbles with his mother inspired his delightful new book
PAUSE THE CLOCK
Researchers have discovered that the ageing process spikes at 44 and 60. Here's what you can do to slow it down
MPOOMY ON TOP
We chat to SA's most popular female podcaster about love, loss and her booming success
MY BROTHER IS NOT TO BLAME
Tinus Drotské says his sibling, ex Bok Nǎka, is the victim in the brawl with a neighbour that landed up in court
MATT THE RECLUSE
A year after his friend's tragic death, the actor continues to shun the spotlight
A LEAP OF FAITH
After her husband tried to kill her by tampering with her parachute she thought she'd never trust a man again-but now she's found love
THEY'RE MY KIDS!
This West Coast woman treats her monkeys as iftheyre humans and animal activists are not happy about it