Characteristics of a healthy relationship (mutual respect, trust, communication)

What are the main signs of a healthy relationship?

A healthy relationship feels like a soft place to land, not a constant emotional workout. Core signs:- Communication: You can say hard things without being punished or mocked. Conflicts end in repair, not silent treatment.- Respect: Your boundaries, time, body, and friendships are honored. “No” doesn’t start a debate.- Trust: No constant snooping, testing, or loyalty quizzes. You both behave in ways that make trust easy.- Support: They care about your goals, not just your availability.- Safety: Your nervous system actually relaxes around them.Across your menstrual cycle—whether you’re bleeding, riding the follicular high, ovulating, or in luteal PMS—your sense of safety with them stays fundamentally stable. Hormonal shifts can amplify feelings, but they don’t turn your partner into a stranger.

Can my period affect my relationship and communication?

Yes, your cycle absolutely affects how you communicate and what you need. During your menstrual phase, low hormones can mean fatigue, pain, and emotional rawness—you might need more rest and gentler conversations. In the follicular and ovulatory phases, rising estrogen and a little testosterone can make you more social, optimistic, and horny, which often makes connection and conflict-resolution easier.In the luteal phase (PMS), progesterone changes can trigger irritability, anxiety, and feeling rejected more easily. Minor issues may feel huge, and you might snap faster. That doesn’t mean your feelings are fake—just that your brain’s alarm system is louder. On birth control or with irregular cycles, these patterns can shift. Tracking mood + cycle helps you and your partner understand what’s hormones and what’s relational.

Is it normal to sometimes feel less attracted to my partner?

Yes. Attraction naturally fluctuates with stress, mental health, routine, and hormones. Around ovulation, when estrogen peaks, many people feel more sexually drawn to their partner. During your period or late luteal phase, when cramps, fatigue, and low mood hit, you may want comfort more than sex—and that’s okay.A red flag is when you feel consistently turned off because of how they treat you: disrespect, bad communication, broken trust. Your body keeps score. If your libido crashes every time they yell, dismiss your pain, or ignore boundaries, that’s your nervous system saying, “I don’t feel safe.”Short-term dips = normal. Long-term shutdown around them = worth examining.

How do I know if I’m asking for too much in a relationship?

Wanting respect, clear communication, affirmation, time, and basic emotional effort is not “too much.” That’s the minimum. You’re asking for too much when you expect a partner to replace an entire support system or regulate emotions you’re not willing to work on at all.Reality check:- Reasonable: “I need you to answer texts within a day, keep plans, and talk issues out instead of disappearing.”- Unreasonable: “You can never have privacy, friends, or alone time because of my anxiety.”Hormones can make your needs feel more urgent—especially in PMS or on certain birth controls—but the needs themselves (safety, respect, consistency) are valid. If someone calls that “too much,” they’re admitting they’re not up for basic care.If you’re spinning on “Is this normal? Am I overreacting?” you don’t have to do that alone. You can always drag your questions, patterns, and “is this bad or just annoying?” moments into a chat with Gush and get a straight-up, body-aware reality check.