Respect in Your Relationship

(trying not to start with cliché Aretha franklin quote)

How does respect show up for you in your relationship?

Is it active listening?

Is it affirming and understanding boundaries?

Respect boils down to a few things: listening to what your partner needs and wants, and acting on it.

“Acting on it” doesn’t necessarily mean action—sometimes it can mean the opposite. If your partner needs space, you can  show respect by giving them that space.

For example, I’m an easily over-stimulated person, and I like to have some quiet decompression time when I get home. My partner, on the other hand, likes to share things as soon as they come to his mind—but he shows me respect by not immediately sharing everything that happened in his day the second he sees me. My boundary of needing space is listened to, and acted on, by giving me that quiet time.

Respect is something you show your partner through your actions. Listen, respond, and act. The foundations of respect are that simple! And it goes both ways: you have to communicate your needs and expectations in order for them to be respected. What ways do you show your partner respect?

Author: Maris Rosenfeld,Community Outreach and Education Coordinator at SHALVA.

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