How to build healthy new relationships

Every day we relate and interact with dozens of people. These relationships help us grow and enrich ourselves in different areas of life: work, family, friends... Having healthy interpersonal relationships is key to maintaining our emotional well-being and growing personally.

Interpersonal relationships are built over the time and must be based on a few key points:

• Confidence.
  It is the basis of any relationship and necessary to have healthy and strong connections. Without trust and confidence, relationships are superficial, false, and insecure.
• Transparent and non-judgmental communication.
  When it comes to sharing experiences and thoughts, it is necessary to communicate without fear of being judged. This is the best way to safely interact and share our dreams, worries, concerns, and fears. If you can't communicate freely, your relationships may not be as positives as you think.
• Commitment.
  The commitment is not only restricted to a couple relationship. It is necessary in all areas of life, to grow in a project, move forward and be part of it.
• Shared responsibility.
  In any relationship you must reach agreements to walk in the same direction or achieve common goals. Everyone who is part of the relationship, whether personal or work, must respect these agreements and assume their responsibility.

To have healthy interpersonal relationships, you must also run away from toxic people, since they can suck your energy and even block you affectively and emotionally. To deal with toxic people, keep these recommendations in mind:

• Be discreet.
  Be careful what you share, as they can use that information to harm or control you.
• Ignore their opinion.
  You must fairly assess the impact of what toxic people around you say and do. Do not give them too much importance! Their comments are not positive or constructive criticism, quite the opposite.
• Get away from ‘chronic complainers’.
  Dalai Lama said: “Let go of people who only come into your life to share complaints, problems, negative stories, fear and judgment of others”. Surround yourself with people who improve your life, help you grow, bring you joy and positive energy.
• Try to understand and forgive them.
  But do not confuse this with allowing yourself to be dominated and controlled by their negative energy. Just keep in mind that a resentful heart cannot be happy, and sometimes forgiveness is the best way to learn living close to toxic people, if you cannot help it.

And one last tip: feed your self-esteem

When you have good self-esteem, you value yourself, feel secure and confident about your abilities. With healthy self-esteem you are also more assertive in expressing your needs and opinions, and more resilient and realistic in your expectations. All these helps you to build secure relationships and avoid unhealthy ones.