Relationships and Self-Esteem
Relationships can bring joy and fulfillment, deepening our sense of connection and belonging. They can also help us to cope with life’s challenges and provide a foundation for growth and resilience. They teach vital skills for cooperation and understanding and inspire motivation and goal-setting. They can provide a source of stability and security and enrich our lives with lasting memories.
Relationships are a way of expressing love and affection for one another, as well as a means of sharing responsibilities and enhancing one’s self-esteem. A healthy relationship involves mutual respect, honesty, and trust. It also requires time and effort to maintain.
Whether it’s a dyad (two people), triad (three people), or polyad (more than three people), relationships can be very different from each other. Some relationships are casual acquaintances, such as people you see in the hallways at work or school and smile at or say hello to; others are more intimate relationships such as dating or marriage. Some are even more formal, like membership in a club or organization.
When you’re in a healthy relationship, your significant other should still be your individual self – someone who makes you happy and proud to be yourself, and who brings out the best in you. You should both have your own friends and interests, and you should spend time together doing activities that you both enjoy. You should also respect each other’s independence and don’t try to change them or expect them to change you.