7 Signs of a Healthy Relationship.

Relationship health is not automatic, and it won't take care of itself. It relies upon more than attraction, and lucky circumstance just isn't enough to keep things in good shape.

But with end of year work pressures and social commitments all vying for our attention, it's all too easy to let relationship wellbeing fall quietly to the bottom of our festive priority list.

In an age of tech-based disconnect, can we really afford not to take care of our relationships?

Here are the 7 signs to look out for in your relationship - including the most important of all.

Respect

“take all the time you need…”

Allowing your relationship to develop at the pace you’re comfortable with is just one of the ways your partner can show you the respect you deserve. It can also be a significant sign of positive communication between you. This doesn't just apply to the dreamy early days! Pay attention to your conversations together and listen to your intuition - it can be a powerful informer of how you’re really feeling.

Trust

“have a good time with the girls tonight.”

Happy relationships are built on trust. You should be able to enjoy time away from one another without unreasonable telephone contact or fact checking your plans. A healthy relationship is built on genuine belief in the other person, without the need for checking up on you. It's definitely OK to miss you! But if you cannot be apart without arguments breaking out, then this needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Openness

“I need to talk about my past”

We've all done things in the past we aren’t proud of. But it’s important to be open with our partner about the elements of our lives that might impact them in the future. If you and your partner are able to communicate supportively about where you’ve been in life, then this stands you in strong grounding going forwards. You might be surprised at how much less of a big deal it seems once it's out in the open, too.

Team-work

“What can we do to make this better?”

You are inevitably going to face challenges together sometimes - what’s important is that you are able t