Whether you’re single and dating, in a committed relationship, or even married, healthy relationships are important. They can improve your mental and physical health, give you a sense of purpose, and add years to your life.

Keeping a healthy, long-term relationship requires real effort. But if you find someone who makes you smile, brings out the best in you, understands you when others can’t, and supports you through life’s hardships, you’ve found “the one.”

Relationships are defined by various factors such as love, intimacy, mutual respect, and understanding. They also include shared interests, a commitment to each other, and shared values. In a relationship, you are a team that fights together against the barriers life throws at you. In a healthy relationship, both partners are working to create the best version of themselves and are supportive of each other’s goals and dreams.

People are generally motivated to form long-term intimate relationships for intrinsic benefits, such as experiencing positive emotions, and extrinsic benefits, such as reducing social pressures. Some of these benefits may be more meaningful to some people than to others.

Some unhealthy relationships are driven by power, control, and manipulation. These may involve controlling the other person, manipulating them emotionally, or making them feel pity or envy. Other relationships are stuck in a peaceful coexistence, without the partners truly relating to each other emotionally. These types of relationships can be difficult to break out of. Having close friends or family members who support healthy behaviors can encourage you to adopt those habits yourself.