Ah, February. The month of roses and chocolates, of Valentine’s Day and Galentine’s Day. This month is all about relationships with others, whether romantic or platonic, and about celebrating your connections with the special people in your life. 

   High school can make it difficult for teens to maintain healthy relationships with their friends, families, and significant others. The workload takes up a lot of teens’ time and energy, and doesn’t leave them with a lot of time to connect with others. 

   With school taking up so much of their time, how can high schoolers keep and build on the valuable connections in their lives?   

   Communication is key in any relationship. Everyone has busy lives and different schedules, but in a good relationship, both parties have to find time to talk to each other. Whether it’s a simple good morning and goodnight message or just a check in when you’re free, a little communication goes a long way.

   Another important part of relationships is communicating when something is wrong. If you seem clearly upset and don’t talk about what’s going on inside your head, this can cause lots of problems in your relationships. When someone is close enough with you, they can tell when you’re acting differently, and shutting out loved ones out when feeling upset often causes them large amounts of anxiety, stress, and worry that you never intended for them. So, despite how hard it can be, please be sure to talk to your loved ones when you are feeling upset, and open up to them once you are ready.

   Making plans to hang out in-person can also be an important part of relationships. Talking over text and calling can be good, especially when you cannot see someone due to conflicting schedules or the pandemic. However, when possible, seeing someone in person provides a type of connection that a screen cannot. So, if possible, try to make plans in person with your loved ones.

   One of the most important things to remember in any relationship is that both parties need to put in equal effort. If one party makes all of the plans, consistently reaches out, and keeps the relationship intact, then that relationship is not healthy or sustainable. In order to have a healthy relationship, both parties have to strive to put in equal effort.You may not always reach this goal, due to other factors in your life, but consistently putting in effort makes for a much better relationship.

   These are just a few of the relationship tips I have gotten over the years, from friends and family and from my own experiences. I hope reading this article will help you to enhance your relationships with your family, friends, and loved ones, and will serve as a guide to read if you are ever looking for relationship advice.