Do you truly listen to your partner and empathize with them? Do you give them compliments, emotional support, or space for some time alone when needed?
These and similar things can be categorized as supporting each other in a relationship. No, supporting your partner doesn’t only mean telling them: I’m here for you.
It is much more complex, and it includes your behavior on a daily basis and not only in critical situations or on special occasions.
You and your partner deserve a chance to grow every day and make your relationship stronger. Below you’ll find the best ways to support one another and create a balanced relationship.
How To Support Each Other In A Relationship
Giving each other space, cultivating patience, and celebrating one another are just some of the things that create a sense of feeling supported in a relationship. Let’s go through these 15 different kinds of support for one another.
1. Listen and empathize
Make every single conversation as meaningful as possible. Don’t just nod, yawn or pretend that you’re listening to your partner while you’re thinking of beer or nail polish in the background.
Good listening means not looking at your phone or TV but looking them in the eye while they’re talking. It means telling them that you understand how they feel and being an emotional caretaker before jumping to finding solutions to their problem.
Supportive partners understand the need for empathy and understanding, especially during difficult times and stressful situations.
2. Cultivate patience
What are your socks doing on the floor? How could you forget to wash the dishes?
Things like these are a daily occurrence in every relationship if you live together. Regardless of whether you live together or not, don’t immediately yell at your loved one or criticize them for certain things.
Instead, learn to cultivate patience because that’s one of the main healthy relationship characteristics. We’re all human beings, after all. Every single one of us is bound to have a bad day, forget to do something, or similar.
It’s up to you to decide which things are irrelevant and shouldn’t matter in a relationship. Don’t let them ruin all the other good things you have in a relationship.
3. Believe in each other
I’m sure every single one of us has our own dreams and goals but does your partner support them too? Do you support your partner?
Supporting each other also means believing in one another. Your personal growth should also be one of your relationship goals.
When you believe in your loved ones, you’re letting them know that they can do it. You’re boosting their self-confidence and motivating them to follow their heart.
That’s how powerful believing truly is.
4. Maintain a sense of humor
Making each other laugh is also a form of support. If you ask me, a sense of humor is the best and cheapest remedy for everything.
Imagine being with someone who never makes you laugh or even tries to. A relationship like this is bound to be dull and devoid of optimism.
Maintaining a sense of humor benefits both partners in the long run. It helps you cope with the accumulation of everyday stress and during difficult times. It just makes your life easier.
Instead of being naggy about every little thing that goes wrong, turn it into an opportunity for a good laugh. Your positive attitude will do wonders for you and your relationship.
If you’ve had an argument with a coworker, would you share your burden with your partner? If you get a raise, will you share the joy with your partner?
If yes, then you’re doing it right. Celebrating joys and sharing burdens is an inevitable part of every healthy relationship.
Being together during hard times is what promotes relationship growth. Being together during happy times also helps you maintain a strong bond.
Don’t be afraid of crying and laughing together. That’s what supporting each other is all about.
It’s about knowing that your partner will be there for you no matter what. When you have that, you have everything.
6. Give a helping hand
The easiest thing every single one of us can do is pull away when things are going south. Don’t be one of those people who have a hard time or are unwilling to give their partner a helping hand.
But I daresay that this goes beyond just that. It also includes their family members and friends. Those closest to us are also, in a way, part of our relationships, and we ought to help them when needed.
“Non nobis solum nati sumus. (Not for ourselves alone are we born).” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
Helping your partner and those close to them is definitely a healthy expectation in a relationship. It shows ultimate respect for each other and devotion.
7. Be each other’s home
Do you know that feeling when you hug your significant other, and all your problems disappear into thin air? You feel like you’re home because they are your safe haven.
Well, finding a safe haven in your person is the best remedy for mental health problems and everything else. So, be each other’s best friends and each other’s home.
Even if the whole world is crashing down around you, don’t give up on one another. Maintain loyalty and affection. Hug them and kiss them like you really mean it.
8. Give encouraging words
Encouraging words have the power to transform a bad day into a good one. They make you feel loved and appreciated.
Many couples make the mistake of saying encouraging words only on social media so that other people can witness their perfect relationships. Don’t be one of those couples.
It’s okay to encourage your partner in the virtual world but also focus on encouraging them in real life as well.
Make your partner feel validated and important because boosting each other’s self-esteem is one of the best methods of self-care for couples.
9. Be adaptable
Every healthy relationship is based on compromise and being flexible. Nothing will ever go the way you imagined it, and you know this.
When that happens, you have two choices. You can curse the universe for not working in your favor, or you can choose to adapt to the new situation.
The latter is far more productive for both you and your relationship. Keep in mind that giving ultimatums in a relationship is something every couple should avoid doing at all costs.
10. Surprise each other on a daily basis
When was the last time you surprised your partner just because? If you can’t remember, then now is the time to change that.
The little things are what matter. Kisses to wish each other good morning, good night quotes, flowers, romantic notes, and other things are some of the best ways to surprise your loved one.
The biggest mistake you could make is to surprise one another only on special occasions such as Valentine’s Day or your birthdays. Your love and affection shouldn’t only be revived on special occasions.
You deserve to celebrate your special bond every day by doing little things that matter.
11. Be proud of one another
Supporting each other means being proud of your significant other’s accomplishments, personality, skills, and for being who they are.
Being proud of them means complimenting them in front of your friends and family and whispering into their ear how much you love them.
Using every opportunity to talk positively about your partner is a great sign of immense support. We all feel good when our partner validates us and makes sure that the rest of the world hears about our greatness.
12. Express your love and affection in various ways
Do you think saying I love you is enough for your partner to feel supported and valued? It definitely isn’t. Every relationship requires variety when it comes to expressing love and affection.
Check in with each other during the day, send them a love poem, and make those hopeless romantic gestures. Surprise them with reasons why you love them or emotional love letters.
There are so many creative ways you can express your deep feelings for them. And yes, don’t forget to say I love you either.
13. Give each other space when needed
To support each other also means respecting your need for alone time. Spending too much time together is not healthy.
So, yes, giving your partner space in a relationship will also benefit you. Everyone should be able to spend some time in solitude so that they can recharge.
This has nothing to do with their unwillingness to spend time with you. Occasionally spending time alone will do wonders for your relationship, and it will make your bond stronger than ever.
14. Apologize when you make a mistake
If I’ve learned anything so far, it’s the following: A strong relationship is not one where everything goes smoothly but one that survives tough times.
Both partners will make mistakes, but not everyone is ready to apologize for them. If you support one another, you won’t have a problem acknowledging when you make a mistake.
Also, you won’t have a problem setting healthy boundaries so that you can protect your relationship at all times.
15. Respect each other’s point of view
Demanding that your partner shares the same opinion as you is ridiculous.
If you support one another, you also support their point of view regardless of whether it’s the same, similar, or different from yours.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if your viewpoints are different from one another. What matters is that you respect them.
Why Is Being Supportive Important In A Relationship?
Being supportive in a relationship gives you a sense of comfort and provides emotional help during hard times. Knowing that you have someone you can count on significantly reduces your stress levels and creates a positive environment for both partners in a relationship.
Being in a supportive relationship gives you the strength to achieve your goals and follow your dreams.
Having someone who believes in you helps you overcome all obstacles and focus on the positives. It promotes your personal growth and makes your relationship stronger.
10 Quotes About Supporting Each Other
The following quotes about supporting each other will help you understand the essence of being there for your partner and fighting for what you have:
1. “People appreciate and never forget that helping hand, especially when times are tough.” – Catherine Pulsifer
2. “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” – Maya Angelou
3. “People want to be heard and want to be loved. That attitude of acceptance and support inspires them to be the best they can be.” – Bobby Genovese
4. “Anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.” – Misty Copeland
5. “Each of us has the power to inspire or depress, to lift others or to push them down.” – Wilferd Peterson
6. “Learn to communicate with an even tone, using words that encourage and uplift instead of blame.” – Bethany Bridges
7. “Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm… As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” – Audrey Hepburn
8. “If you’re not making someone else’s life better, then you’re wasting your time. Your life will become better by making other lives better.” – Will Smith
9. “Enthusiasm for life, an encouraging spirit, a heartfelt concern for the concerns of others, a way to show that someone cares is all part and parcel of a life dedicated to warmth and passion. You have it in you. Don’t keep your zest for life inside; let it out in the service to others in need no matter when or where or to whom.” – Byron Pulsifer
10. “A true relationship is someone who accepts your past, supports your present, loves you, and encourages your future.” – Unknown
Wrapping It Up
Supporting each other shouldn’t be something you need to remind yourself of. It should come naturally to you because your partner’s well-being and happiness are your priority and vice versa.
To support one another means to sometimes listen without talking because words are superfluous. It also means hugging them after a long day at work and losing yourself in the comfort of their warmth.
Supporting your loved one means lots of things, and it can be done in various ways that all stem from LOVE.