For some, “breaking the cycle” means stopping the merry-go-round of relationships and building something strong, long-lasting, and truly rewarding.
While in a relationship, orient yourself around values based on self-care, self-worth, interdependence, and repsect so you can build something strong and healthy and also spot when something isn’t quite right.
Table of Contents
Here’s everything you need to understand and make the most of life in a relationship:
Understanding Healthy Relationships
What makes a relationship healthy can be subjective. We all have differerent needs and wants. But there are patterns that in relationships that thrive.
Check out the resources we have on healthy relationships:
- Healthy Boundaries in Relationships: What They Are and How to Set Them
- Shared Values in a Relationship: Core Beliefs for Couples
Tips for Growing Healthy Relationships
Relationships aren’t just healthy or unhealthy on their own. They develop into assets or liabilities in our life as a result of what both parties do.
Whether you’re just starting a relationship or have been in one for years, here are some tips to help you make it stronger and healthier:
- Relationship Rights and Responsibilities: Know What Matters
- How a Woman Should Treat a Man: Embrace Authentic Connection
- What Men Want in a Relationship: Truth or Stereotype?
- 111 Never Have I Ever Questions: Spicy Edition
- 200 Never Have I Ever Questions for Couples to Dig Deep
- 100 Questions to Ask Your Boyfriend to Test His Love
- 50 Tough Relationship Questions to Strengthen Your Connection
- 95 Deep Love Messages for Him: Texts to Open Up His Heart
- 80+ of the Best Dirty Pickup Lines to Spice Things Up (NSFW)
- 60 Questions to Ask Your Boyfriend to Make Him Laugh
- 160 Good Morning Messages for Him to Start the Day Right
- 115 Touching Love Messages to Make Him Cry
- 10 Signs He Cares About You Deeply (Number 4 Will Remove Any Doubt)
- Love Paragraphs for Him: 120 Messages Ready to Copy & Paste
- 97 Good Night Messages for Him: Inspire Sweet Dreams of You
- 16 Signs He’s in Love with You: What Relationship Experts Want You to Know
- Why Do I Get Attached So Easily? Emotional Attachment Theory Explained
- Reasons to Love Someone: What Makes Love Deep and Genuine
- 9 Signs a Man Is in Love: How to Know He’s Serious
- How to Deal With Long-Distance Relationships: Tips Backed by Science (and Me!)
- Send Love Letters to Him: Awaken Your Inner Poet or Simply Copy and Paste
- How to Respond to “I Miss You” Texts: Thoughtful Replies & Tips
- 129 Things to Talk About With Your Boyfriend to Strengthen Your Connection
- How to Respond to “I Miss You” Texts: Thoughtful Replies & Tips
- What to Do When You Miss Someone You Love: 7 Ways to Cope
- How to Turn a Man On: The Ultimate Guide for the Blissfully Clueless
- How to Tell Someone You Miss Them Without Sounding Needy and Clingy
- Do You Like Him or the Attention? The Key to Unraveling Your Feelings
- Love-of-My-Life Quotes
- What Is a Beta Male?
- How to Stop Overthinking Everything: 7 Tips for Finding Peace in Your Relationship
- Ways to Say “I Love You”
- The Ideal Number of Dates Before a Relationship is Official: Here’s What to Know
- How Do You Know You Love Someone? Learn to Read the Signs
- Older Women Dating Younger Men: Beyond the “Cougar” Stereotype
- 19 Effective Couples Therapy Exercises to Strengthen Your Relationship
- 9 Reasons to Get Married (and 8 Bonus Reasons Not to Get Married)
- Peter Pan Syndrome: So You’re Dating a Lost Boy
- Let’s Be Real
- 9 Best Ways to Keep Him Interested & Why They Work So Well
Signs Your Relationship Needs Attention
While in we relationships, we can sometimes let our guard down. We become comfortable, complacent, busy, depressed, or any other natural human emotion and we neglect our relationships. Or sometimes it happens to you.
This is normal, but not something that should last. Relationships provide us comfort, but they should also push us forward and make our lives better.
Learn about how to spot when your relationship needs work:
- What Does It Mean to Level Up in a Relationship?
- How Commitment Issues Play Out: Can You Tackle Them?
- How to Deal With Anxiety in a Relationship and Learn to Overcome It
- Signs of an Emotionally Unavailable Partner and How to Manage Them
- How to Fix a Relationship, Rebuild Trust, and Write a New Love Story
- Why Do Relationships Get Boring? How to Break Free from the Relationship Rut
- How to Avoid Divorce and Save Your Marriage: A Deep Journey Back to Love and Connection
- 18 Guaranteed Signs of Cheating: How to Confirm Your Suspicions
- Taking a Break in a Relationship: When Love Needs a Time-Out
- Think You’re Falling Out of Love? Learn to Recognize the Signs
- Jealousy in Relationships: Signs, Causes, and Solutions
- 9 Ways to Get Your Ex Back (From Someone Who’s Been There)
- How to Tell If Your Husband Isn’t in Love With You Anymore
- Unsure If Your Husband Still Loves You? Here’s How to Know
- 9 Signs She’s Cheating & Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore Them
- How to Get Your Wife to Love You Again
- Is My Boyfriend Cheating or Am I Paranoid?
- 10 Best Online Marriage Counseling Platforms (2025)
Recognizing Unhealthy Relationships
If you’re in a truly unhealthy relationship, it’s often hard to see. Others typically will before you. The faster you can learn to spot the signs things have turned unhealthy, the sooner you can take action.
That doesn’t always mean breaking up. Sometimes communication and effort can do the trick. Other times, going separate ways is the only option.
Here’s a bunch of resources that will help you spot and deal with unhealthy relationships:
- Feeling Alone in a Relationship? You’re Not Alone
- 80 Texts to Make Him Feel Guilty for Hurting You
- How to Know if a Guy Is Playing You or Really Likes You
- 11 Signs He’s Losing Interest: How to Know and What to Do
- 11 Early Signs of a Controlling Man: Never Ignore These Red Flags
- The Signs He Just Wants to Sleep With You: What to Do When a Man Wants Only One Thing
- 14 Ways Self-Centered People Make Our Lives Miserable (and How to Keep Them Away)
- 23 Signs of Codependent Behavior in a Relationship
- 9 Reasons You Think Your Husband Hates You: Let’s Get to the Bottom of This
- How to Recognize Your Partner’s Emotional Blackmail and Retake Control of Your Life
- When to Leave a Lying Spouse: 9 Factors to Consider
- 11 Serious Red Flags in a Relationship and How to Deal With Them
Relationship Abuse
Relationships are supposed to be about love, support, trust, communication, and respect. But that doesn’t always happen, and the emotional nature of relationships can all too easily lead to abuse.
If you feel you’re being abused, it’s normal to feel scared or worried. But you also don’t have to accept your situation.
Here are some resources on how to identify abuse and also how to get help: