Many people assume emotional security means never feeling jealous, arguing or questioning where they stand. But couples in emotionally secure relationships can navigate discomfort without losing trust in each other.
As a psychologist who studies couples — and as a husband — I’ve seen that emotionally secure partners consistently act in ways that reinforce safety, both individually and together, even when things feel tense or uncertain.
Here are five things they do regularly.
Secure couples argue, sometimes passionately. In fact, research shows that they’re quite skilled at it. The difference is that they don’t sweep problems under the rug or storm off indefinitely.
Instead, they face discomfort head-on, acknowledging hurt feelings, admitting faults and tolerating the awkwardness of disagreement.
