Self Empowerment in Modern Relationships

The dating world has shifted significantly in the past decade: meeting people now happens online rather than in person and the series of events in a relationship is more fluid than ever. With all of these changes comes a shift in attitude as well, where more individuals are putting personal empowerment first. This self empowerment is important for the wellbeing of modern relationships, because knowing yourself means you’ll be able to identify things you do or do not want in a relationship. When you take the time to know yourself and what you are looking for, you’ll feel confident and ready to build a meaningful relationship with someone else. In preparation for that time, we’ve compiled some ways that showcase how crucial self empowerment is in modern relationships.

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Embrace your “Singlehood” -    More and more modern individuals are actively practicing the beauty of being single and loving themselves first. Whereas the thought process of older generations was to get married before making any other moves in life, that idea has changed. Younger generations realize there is such power in making yourself happy and taking action to do exactly what you want for yourself. A lot of singles utilize their time alone to determine a list of “deal breakers” for potential new relationships down the line as well. These deal breakers serve as requirements and core values that must exist in a relationship or partner in order to make the relationship worth it. If you take the time focus on yourself and your needs, others will sense that and treat you accordingly!

Open Communication -   There’s no doubt about it: this is the generation of distance. While it’s great that everyone prioritizes their independence, it does make open communication more important than ever before. Make your relationship stronger by starting an open dialogue about your pasts, expectations in a relationship and future life plans. Not only will this help you avoid misunderstandings down the road, it will help build a more intimate bond from the get go. A few starting points for what to talk about include previous relationship successes and failures, financial stresses such as student loan debt, career aspirations and the ideal timing you foresee for all of these things.

Share Roles and Responsibilities -       Nowadays, it is common for men and women to both contribute financially, emotionally and physically around the house. Where the practices of past generations typically required a wife to cook and clean while her husband is working, we now see a trend of both partners contributing to housework and breadwinning equally. Along the same lines, many couples are making big financial decisions and purchases together before they are married. From moving in together and splitting rent, to buying a home or starting a family, modern couples enjoy the freedom of making relationship steps at their own pace. The lack of societal expectations to do things in a certain order allows everyone to talk openly about financial fears and goals, and prioritize accordingly. Just remember, as always, communication is key. Talking openly about your wants and goals with your partner will help alleviate confusion later on.

Plan your wedding ceremony together -       When you reach the point in your lives together to get married, play equal parts in the planning process. There’s no doubt that planning a wedding is a big task, and sharing the responsibility not only helps alleviate stress, but also creates an event that represents both halves of your relationship. To start, ask other newlyweds who recently went through the planning process for tips on how they determined a budget, what timeline they followed and how those worked for them. Whether you are shopping for your wedding bands or meeting with a vendor, discuss all details together to ensure you stay on the same page throughout the wedding planning process. Even when you disagree on details, practice making compromises to truly make your wedding day a product of love and hard work.