Relationships are the connections you have with people, both close and casual. They can include family, friends, work colleagues and romantic partners. Relationships are important for mental health, especially in the case of close relationships, which provide emotional support and reduce stress.
Positive relationships add meaning to life and help us feel more confident, self-assured, and motivated to pursue our goals. They also help us build resilience to overcome challenges and achieve success. In addition, they make it easier to deal with the inevitable ups and downs of life.
The most common type of relationship is a loving romantic partnership, also known as a marriage. This type of committed relationship usually involves sexual intimacy and feelings of romance or love.
Another kind of relationship is a civil union, which provides some of the benefits and protections of marriage but not all of them. Some states also allow for a more informal and non-binding relationship called an interdependent domestic partnership.
Regardless of the form of your relationship, it is important to nurture it by communicating regularly and respecting each other’s boundaries. It is also helpful to take time for couple activities, such as watching one movie together a week or having a book club.
While the need for human connection seems to be innate, the ability to form healthy, stable relationships is likely learned. This learning may start during infancy, with a parent who consistently meets an infant’s needs for food, care, warmth and protection.