relationships

why it’s important to invest in and build healthy, loving, secure relationships

The quality of our lives isn’t just shaped by our material wealth, food and exercise regime. The quality of our lives is also largely shaped by the strength, depth and quality of our friendships, family and romantic relationships.

For this reason, it’s really important that we take the steps to invest in and build strong, meaningful relationships that offer emotional support, a safe space to belong, respectful communication, a strong foundation of trust, and the encouragement to grow as a person.

Building strong, loving, meaningful relationships with the people in our lives is an essential part of a living a fulfilling and happy life.

For some of us, this comes naturally as we were raised in environments that celebrated connections, nurtured long-term friendships and valued respectful, healthy marriages. For others of us (like myself) — it’s more of a huge learning curve that’s come with a lot of mistakes, broken hearts and toxic friendships that have had to end.

The good news is that no matter what our previous experiences have been, we all have the opportunity to build strong relationships with the people around us — and it starts with build a positive, grounding, healthy relationship with ourselves.

how to build a strong, secure relationship with yourself

Building a healthy relationship with yourself is an ongoing process. By figuring out what makes you feel nourished, prioritising taking care of your needs, stepping out of your comfort zone to learn a new skill, creating healthy boundaries, identifying your priorities and practicing self-compassion — you can develop a stronger, more secure relationship with yourself. Be patient and kind with yourself as you work to cultivate a stronger, more loving relationship with the most important person you’ll ever do life with. Yourself.

Read More

Why it’s important to build a strong support network

Building a strong support network outside of your romantic relationship, or one other person that you tend to rely on for lots of things can be tricky. Especially as life gets busy, and we step into new, and unknown seasons and chapters.

By investing in close friendships, family members, mentors, support groups, and healthcare professionals — you’ll be able to give and receive strong support, encouragement and perspective. Building a support network is an incredible form of self-care just as much as it is a form of service too. It is 100% worth the time and investment.

Read More

how to make friends and build a strong support network as an adult

Making friends and building a support network as an adult can be daunting and uncomfortable at times. But it’s really important that you find and invest in a group of different people who can offer emotional, social, and practical support during difficult times. It can take a little bit of work, a little bit of trial and error — but it will be worth the risk and discomfort.

When you have a strong circle of friends, family members, colleagues, mentors, support groups, and healthcare professionals like a counsellor or psychologist — you can trust that you’ll be able to navigate life’s challenges as you feel supported, and are able to give the same support to people in a similar life stage with you.

Read More

are you investing into the most important relationship you’ll ever have?

Building a healthy relationship with yourself can also improve your mental health. If you regularly spend alone time to reflect and reconnect, you’ll develop a strong sense of self-awareness that can give you insight and perspective when it comes to making decisions and navigating challenges.

Having this groundedness will build your sense of self-worth, self-respect and self-efficacy as you know that you’re equipped and capable to handle whatever that comes your way (even if it means reaching out for help and being resourceful at times). If you love yourself, you will help yourself — and reach out to others that can help you too.

If you have a grounded relationship with yourself, you’re probably taking care of yourself regularly — and this will have a positive impact in your relationships, which has a huge impact on our overall quality of life. With a strong, connected relationship to self — you are more likely to be resilient in the face of stress and adversity, and have a more positive outlook on life.

Read More

read more of my articles about health & wellbeing:

simple, practical tips on how you can take care of your mind, body and soul to thrive and become the best version of yourself in 2023