Know Your Green Flags

We all deserve a green flag relationship. Green flags as the name suggests are positive indicators of yourself or others. It’s a reflection of your relationship with yourself. They help you identify what you need to improve on, what you succeed in and how far you’ve come in your self-reflection journey. These indicators also help you identify the steps needed to achieve a healthy and long-lasting relationship with yourself.

It is important for us to recognize our own green flags because it can allow us to develop a wider emotional outcome and strengthen our self-awareness. Knowing our green flags can help us to identify and respond to our triggers or certain situations in a healthy and informed manner. We often notice green flags in others but rarely look at ourselves and highlight or appreciate our positive side.

Green flag #1: You treat yourself with kindness.

You can exercise kindness towards yourself through positive self-talk and extending grace when you face personal struggles. It’s important to remember that loving yourself unconditionally and appreciating your efforts, failures and successes is healthy.

Green flag #2: You allow yourself to feel.

Always remember that your feelings are valid. Bottling things up is a dangerous trait that leaves you physically drained and emotionally exhausted. Practice validating what emotions are coming up for you by identifying it, welcoming it, sitting with it, and without judging it. You are allowed to feel your emotions—all of them: anger, sadness, anxiety, joy, etc...

Green flag #3: You set and respect your boundaries.

Boundaries help you create and maintain healthy spaces between you and others. Allowing yourself to say no and taking time for yourself is essential. It’s important to recognize and avoid things that trigger negativity. As you learn to identify your triggers, you’ll be able to start working to better manage your emotions and responses.

Identifying and becoming self-aware of our green flags leads us down the road to becoming the most authentic and happiest version of ourselves. Displaying healthy communication, anger control, respect and honesty are a few characteristics that individuals should possess that can contribute to forming healthy relationships with others. Remember, it is vital that you forgive yourself for past mistakes and always be your biggest supporter!

Reminders:

• Emotions are not permanent

• Continue to check-in with yourself

• Be patient with yourself

• Prioritize self-care

Our emotions and needs may fluctuate depending on a variety of things like if we feel fulfilled in our life and if we are able to take care of ourselves—and that’s okay. If you feel that the green flags listed above only happen occasionally, it is important to talk about it.

Journey Center has a variety of services including support groups and trauma therapy for individuals who have experienced, witnessed, or been impacted by domestic violence, and/or child abuse.

We are always here for you when you need to talk. Call or text our 24-Hour Helpline: 216.391.4357 (HELP) or live chat.