Our relationships, good or bad, affect our mental well-being. Toxic relationships can take a major toll on our happiness, fulfilment and our general outlook on life and love. When you're not in a positive relationship, the stressors can affect your physical and mental health over the course of your life.

Here's what qualities to look for in your friends, family members and loved ones.

1. Respect

Respecting one another doesn't mean that you have to be a clone or even that you agree on all things. Most importantly is that you respect the differences that you have together. Talking over others or taking a person for granted are just simple ways that show lack of respect. There are many ways. Treating with kindness and giving respect where deserved are key to making a relationship healthy.

Keeping Your Relationship Strong

2. Loyalty

We all make mistakes. Finding someone who can forgive us and stand by us, even at our lowest times, is something special that we should be grateful for. Loyalty should never be taken for granted or mis-used. When a loyal person comes our way and shows us what we mean to them; we should always be appreciative. Reciprocating the loyalty is every bit as important as getting it.

3. Trustworthy

Your deep feelings shared should be confidential and treated with the respect and knowledge of knowing that the person told was confided in. It's not meant to be public knowledge. If it was, you could have posted it on your Facebook profile. Trust means treating others' information and confidences like they were your own and vice versa. A life partner, the one you share the most with, should be able to keep your trust safe.

4. No Conditions

Generosity and being unconditionally there for you are key ingredients to any healthy and trusting relationship. Nobody wants to feel like their loved one is only in it for their own designs. Finding someone who wants you in your life just because you're you and not because they are expecting something in return is worth holding on to.

5. Dependability

When a person says they will do something and doesn't follow through doesn't exactly instil faith in that person.  Obviously there are times or instances when there are legitimate reasons for following through. A person who habitually does this does not have your best interests at heart; only their own. Chronic lateness and lack of follow-through are classic ways that you can determine if a person should be important to you or not. 

6. Reliable Sounding Board

Taking a genuine interest in what others have to say is important in developing solid relationships. Remembering the concept; two ears (to listen twice as much) and one mouth (to say half as much) is a good rule of thumb. Really listening to someone close to you and setting aside the "me, me, me" influence; lets the other person known that they're valued and appreciated. It should also be reciprocated by someone you consider to be close to and care about. If we develop this depth of relationship we can share more easily on a deeper level. Any individual that offers us this is worth hanging on to.

In a nutshell, you generally get what you give in your lifetime. Most times. Setting your standards high and giving what you expect to get will most times see you through unscathed. These guidelines aren't difficult to achieve or reciprocate with; if it's too difficult for you to get or give any one of these conditions, it's time to either end your current relationship or put your standards of living and love under the microscope. Evaluation and self-exploration are great ways to re-focus your life on what goals you hope to achieve and who you choose to live your life with. Keeping your life good and positive will mean that you have more positives to offer someone that  you love.