Last Updated on December 8, 2020
© Inspiring Tips
Respect in a relationship can be the foundation for everything. Respecting your partner means perceiving them as a whole, with all their worth and all their flaws. And also accept that they are different from you, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Professing that you respect people is easy, but you need to own up to it and to show it with actions – respect needs to be displayed. So here is a list of how to be respectful in your relationship by showing your partner signs of respect.
1. Show them trust
Being in a romantic relationship with someone you don’t trust is quite harmful and toxic. Trust in a relationship is vital – you are sharing your life with someone, your time, and your affection, so you need to trust this person if you want to build a successful relationship.
However, this trust needs to be displayed. And how can you do that? Allow your partner to enjoy their alone time, and don’t be the type of toxic person who constantly needs to check up on them or ask them where they are and who they are with.
Do not read their messages or try to check their social media. If something is bothering you, talk it through – after all, healthy communication is the best path to a healthy relationship.
2. Be sensitive when communicating
Communication is a key factor in any relationship, but the art of communication takes time. You and your partner need to be open enough with each other to be able to be entirely honest in your relationship.
But honesty sometimes can be hard to communicate without feelings getting hurt, and that’s why you need to be mindful when communicating with your loved one. Also, if there is something you need to get off your chest, do it, and don’t just sit around waiting for your partner to read your mind.
You both should internalize that emotions are always valid, and if you want a successful relationship, you will invest some time learning how to communicate and to solve your issues.
However, communication is much more than just talking – you have a lot of love languages, and you can communicate something through small gestures.
3. Be someone they can rely on
If you are dating someone who is constantly lying to you or canceling plans, it is only natural that you will start to develop some trust issues, and of course, this goes the other way around. Do not promise to go out for dinner or to go to a concert if you are not sure you can follow through.
And if for some reason you can’t make it, do not lie. Always tell the truth and be accountable for your flaws or mistakes.
It shows respect for your partner’s time and mental energy that you show up for the things you two have arranged, and if you really can’t do it, apologizing and offering a reasonable justification helps maintain the trust.
4. Learn to be apart
Spending time alone is essential for your and your partner’s personal growth. It is normal that at first, you want to spend as much time as you can with your soulmate, but having no life outside the relationship is not healthy – in fact, it can even be one of the definitions of a toxic relationship.
You need to have a strong emotional network in your life and spend time with your friends and with your family as well. It is essential to maintain those connections and also to establish new ones – humans are social creatures, and you can’t rely on a single person to suppress all of your emotional and social needs.
Being able to be your person and to let your partner be their person as well is one of the most important and vital signs of a healthy relationship.
5. Be supportive
you fell in love with someone who doesn’t match every tiny detail of your personality, and now what? Some people see this as a conflict, but if you can’t accept your differences, you probably shouldn’t be in a relationship with each other, to begin with.
Remember that your partner is their person; they have their likes and dislikes, their personality traits, and their perspective on things based on their experiences.
You don’t need to share all the same interests, but you need to support them throughout every challenge they put themselves through, and not make them feel like a burden if they want to share something that excites them with you. How to show respect in your relationship? Be supportive and avoid unnecessary criticism.
6. Take some time to get to know yourself
So many relationship problems originate from the fact that the people who take part in the relationship invest too much time getting to know the other, and too little time getting to know themselves.
Being with someone changes you, and it is not only important but essential that you know yourself and you know what you want from a relationship.
You need to know what are your fundamental values, you need to know all the things you are not willing to compromise, you need to know what qualities you search for in a partner, as well as all the other key factors that will allow this relationship to enrich your life.
Be aware of your boundaries and know how to set them. This is a core principle that will enable you to know if your relationship will turn into a long-term relationship, or if this is something not worth investing your time and energy.