📅 14 Sep 2023 • 📖 9 min read
It’s not always enough to love your partner or make them feel like your epicenter of attention.You must also respect them for who they are. Respecting the other person in your relationship shows that you genuinely value their presence in your life.
Respect in relationships is foremost about how you make the other person feel. One nifty way to build respect is by validating the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, opinions, and values of the person you’re in a relationship with.
So, if you want to make your relationship more respectful and therefore more joyful, read on.
10 Tips On How To Have A Respectful Relationship
The key to building a healthy and long-term relationship is respect. Respect the other person, their opinions, and their feelings. Also, be open and honest with each other about your wants and needs in the relationship.
Here are 10 helpful tips to show your partner that you not only care about them, but also look up to them.
1. Trust the person you’re in a relationship with.
People often think that trust is the same as security, but this is not true. Security is achieving certain relationship goals, like emotional or financial stability, and getting the desired outcomes, like a marriage or cohabitation.
Trust is someone’s reliability to do what they are supposed to do. Trust is the reinforcing structure we build upon our partner’s dependability to do what they say they will do, as well as what we expect them to do.
When it comes to relationships, trust doesn’t come all in a day. It takes many acts of reliability to grow into the exact shape we have a need for. We must work to build trust in the person we’re with.
You may have deep-seated trust issues because of your experiences. However, you could learn to rebuild trust, especially in the person with whom you’re in a relationship. To start, assume that their intentions are most likely good, and they would be there for you in times of need.
2. Keep their needs high on your priority list.
It is crucial to keep their needs as your top priority most of the time. To let them have a sense of belonging in the relationship, take care to make them feel valued and appreciated.
A simple way you can make someone at work feel valuable is by noticing what they’re doing and praising them for it. They will know that you appreciate their efforts and feel more motivated at work as a result.
We should not forget that people are made up of unique ideas and dreams that they want you to know about. It’s not just about the physical and emotional duties you fulfill, but knowing the person behind it all.
3. Show interest in your partner’s passions.
Be curious about their interests at whatever stage your relationship is.
First, listen to what your partner tells you about themselves. Then, express genuine curiosity to know more.
Even if you’ve known your partner for years, make it a point to ask them what new interests they grew. It tells them you always want to know them better, and want to look up to them for what’s unique about their talents and passions.
People respect you for asking to talk about themselves. Simply ask, “Hey, what are your passions and fancies?”
You could show interest is by getting them meaningful gifts related to their passions.
If they mention that they enjoy football and gardening, take them to a football game or help them plant flowers in the garden the next time they visit. Ask them insightful questions about their creative pursuits, or watch their favorite shows with them.
4. Pay attention to what they have to say.
Respect is about actively listening to them when they are sharing their feelings and thoughts. It’s not enough to remain silent when they need you to listen and understand what they are going through. It is about being fully present for them when things are going hard for them.
Recognize that paying attention to what your partner has to say is an important part of your relationship. Show your commitment to this process by listening to them with your full attention, while genuinely wanting to understand what your partner has to say.
Rather than listening to their words through a curtain of distractions, keep your smartphone away and hold your interrupting monologues about you. Give heed to their gestures and expressions as they speak to you. Don’t make sarcastic or trivializing remarks based on snap judgments. Tell them if you are unable to fully grasp something.
5. Be their cheerleader in their challenging times.
No matter how good your relationship is, you and your partner will have to confront the demons of rage, jealousy, and despair. If you always give your partner unconditional love and support, he or she will be able to overcome whatever hurdles stand in their way.
You can earn the respect of your relationship partner by being their cheerleader when they are facing challenges in life.
The key to being supportive through difficult times is to give the person you care for what they need. They might need you to be open with them, listen to them, and show them that you want them in your life.
Telling them, “I stand with you” before asking them what can you do for them, will help them open up about their fears. It will give you the opportunity to support them and champion their methods.
6. Create a respectful environment for people in your relationship.
If you want your partner to have a more positive and productive influence in your life, then you must truly make them feel more at ease to express their anxieties and insecurities. At all times, they need to feel unafraid of novelty and change.
Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Those words are an excellent way to think about what you want from your relationship. If you want your relationship to be mutually more respectful, be the one to show it.
Build psychological safety in your relationship. It allows your partner to express themselves without fear. With time, it will automatically create a durable climate of mutual respect.
7. Autonomy to people in your relationship.
Autonomy is a basic human need. We all want to feel like we have a choice in our lives, and that we have enough freedom to make our own decisions.
For your partner to feel close to you, let them decide things and take risks. Assure them it is okay to make mistakes as any other human being. Stand beside them when they learn from their falls.
We frequently play the role of the “controller” in relationships, telling our partner what to do, how to do it, when to do it, how often to do it, and how much effort to put in.
However, many people don’t realize that autonomy in a relationship does not mean one gets the right to “control” their partner. Instead, they must understand that people in a relationship are fully capable of controlling themselves, their decisions, and their actions.
Even if you believe they have too much autonomy, which may lead to them disrespecting you, do not push them around.
8. Give them the space when they need it.
Being in a relationship is wonderful, but it may be frustrating if one partner is always interfering in the affairs of the other.
Everyone needs moments for themselves from time to time. This holds true for any relationship. You must respect your partner’s need for personal space.
Not every little thing they do or intend to do needs to be shared with you. If they have a problem that they want to handle themselves, as long as it’s not affecting the rest of your life together, let them have their independent space to deal with it.
While it’s certainly important to be a good partner, it’s also vital to be a good person–and that requires a lot of self-love and self-care.
9. Solve conflicts with a positive mindset.
Conflict is inevitable in relationships.
The good news is that most relationship conflicts can be solved with a positive mindset. The bad news is that most people are still using the same old ways to solve relationship conflicts, like complaining and stonewalling.
This frequently results in the formation of negative attitudes in our relationships, which can lead to disrespectful and abusive partnerships.
What works better is applying positive mindset principles to help you get through the hard times. Like practicing gratefulness, being more forgiving, and adopting a “we both against this” attitude for all problems.
Learn how to build a strong, bulletproof, positive mindset.
10. Don’t expect too much from your partner.
Many people expect their partner to go above and beyond in every aspect of the relationship. They expect them to be their everything and don’t pause to consider why their partner can’t fulfill all their demands.
The truth is that you can’t always get what you want—at least not from someone else. Especially when it comes to relationships, you can’t expect your partner to fulfill all of your needs.
You can’t have them answer all your questions, correct all your mistakes, or do everything you desire all the time. Even in a life-long relationship, no one person can be everything to you.
Being a good partner means doing your fair share, but not expecting more than you’re willing to give.
Final Words
Respect is the key enabler of all successful relationships.
And the bedrocks of respectful relationships are honesty, communication, compromise, negotiation skills, and a commitment to meeting one another’s needs are.
Couples often cite that the worse part of a relationship is fighting. In the heat of the moment, it’s hard to stay on point and refrain from making remarks that are hurtful to your partner. In these times, it is more important to act with respect rather than react.
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Boundaries define the limits of our acceptance and tolerance in a relationship. Here’s how to set the six most important relationship boundaries.
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Author Bio: Written and reviewed by Sandip Roy—a medical doctor, psychology writer, happiness researcher. Founder and chief editor of The Happiness Blog. Writes popular science articles on happiness, positive psychology, and related topics.
• Our story: Happiness Project
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