Love connections: Why quality matters most in relationships

Did you know the quality of your relationships - or love connections - affects your mental, physical and cognitive health? Because of this, strengthening and nurturing your relationships is vital to your health. Psychotherapist Katrin Koutassevitch, LCSW, recently shared practical advice at Senior Care Network's Noon Hour about how to deepen relationships and navigate common pitfalls you might encounter in the quest for quality.

Katrin discussed four types of relationships that affect your well-being: family and friends, romantic partnerships, self-love and values. She explored the unique challenges of each and offered actionable strategies to improve interactions. Below are takeaways from her talk.

Improving family and friend connections.

Relationships with family and friends are often the most foundational to well-being, but as Katrin put it, it can be "perilous." Political disagreements, unsolicited criticism/advice or yelling can make it difficult. She offered the following:

Strengthening romantic partnerships.

Katrin also shared tips on how to make romantic relationships more fulfilling:

Cultivating self-love.

Self-love is often confused with self-care, but they are not the same. While self-care focuses on pampering or external comfort, self-love is about appreciating yourself exactly as you are. Katrin shared two ways to be "your own cheerleader":

Deepening your connection to your values.

Katrin explained that connecting with something bigger than yourself - like core values (e.g., faith, family, ecology, education, forgiveness) - will give you a sense of well-being. She suggested two ways to accomplish this connection:

For more information, watch the Senior Care Network Noon Hour recording,using the following passcode: 06=?vZ9A

The Senior Care Network is located on the Huntington Hospital campus. Our community-based team includes over 30 staff members as well as volunteers and students. Together we serve more than 15,000 community members annually, with the ultimate goal of helping seniors live safely in their homes. Visit huntingtonhealth.org/seniorcarenetwork to learn more.