How attuned both of you are to each other’s needs, feelings, and thoughts will determine the quality of your relationship. That is called communication.

The first step in building a harmonious relationship is making sure you both want and expect the same things when it comes to the relationship — being on the same page is very important! The following tips can help you create and maintain positive communication in your relationship.

Learn how to talk!

In a healthy relationship, if something is bothering you, it’s best to talk about it instead of holding it in. When you hold in something that is bothering you, it tends to come out in ways that aren’t constructive. Be it something serious or silly, letting your partner know about what you think can make all the difference.

Listen to your partner.

Your partner’s wishes and feelings have value. Let your significant other know you are making an effort to keep their ideas in mind. Mutual respect is essential in maintaining healthy relationships. Both parties should be allowed to express their feelings, needs, thoughts, and desires. A great way to show respect is through practicing active listening, which is basically when you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words your partner is saying but trying to understand their complete message. It means not allowing yourself to become distracted or already formulating a response in your head.

Learn how to compromise.

Disagreements are a natural part of healthy relationships, but it’s important that you find a way to compromise if you disagree on something. Try to solve conflicts in a fair and rational way. Compromise requires people on both sides of a disagreement to find some middle ground, which is key for a healthy relationship because after all, it’s very rare that two people will always agree on everything!

Support your partner.

Offer reassurance and encouragement to your partner. Also, let your partner know when you need their support. Healthy relationships are about building each other up, not putting each other down. There should be equal power in the decision making processes the relationship encounters.

Show love and affection.

Not everyone is comfortable with displays of affection, but even so, it’s important to communicate your affection for your partner. This can be with simple words like “I love you”, or with simple gestures like giving them a small gift or doing an activity they really enjoy.

Source: http://www.wgac.colostate.edu/healthy-relationships-1