14 Emotions You'll Only Feel With Someone Who's Actually Good For You
Looking inside is the best way to know if someone truly has your back.
Iqbal Nuril Anwar | Canva The people we spend our time with have a profound impact on our mental health.
How do you figure out who uplifts and inspires your well-being and who brings you down?
Here are 14 crystal-clear signs someone is a positive influence on your life
1. Supported: They give the kind of advice you need
Their words are like a lighthouse guiding you home — thoughtful, well-timed, and spot-on. Their advice sticks because it comes from a place of love and understanding.
2. Respected: They respect your space
This person knows the art of being present without being overbearing. They honor your need for solitude as much as your need for company. They value your boundaries and are beneficial for your mental health. A healthy relationship includes someone who offers support when needed but chills in the background and doesn't seek you out when you don't reach out for the connection. They manage their emotions when they need space.
3. Seen: You feel seen, heard, and safe with them
They love the real you. With them, you can let your guard down. They get that your quirks are part of your charm, and they wouldn’t have you any other way.
With them, you feel comfortable and safe. Communication flows easily and honestly. They speak with kindness and clarity, which creates a refreshing and deep connection.
4. Safe: They’re dependable
Whether it's 2 p.m. or 2 a.m., they're the ones you can count on. Their dependability is a cozy blanket for your soul. Rain or shine, they’re there. You know you can count on them to communicate clearly and kindly.
Knowing you can count on someone provides a sense of security and stability. This is essential for mental health. Creating positive and consistent relationships with people you can trust is one of the best things you can do for your mental health.
5. Accepted: They listen without judgment
In a world where everyone has a strong opinion, someone who listens with an open heart and mind is a rarity. A person who provides a safe space where you feel understood and accepted is a cornerstone of mental well-being.
Being heard without feeling judged improves self-esteem and builds trust that people understand you. You don't have to hide any parts of yourself. Anything from the past, future, or anything at all, you can share absolutely anything with them. They will never judge you like the others.
6. Empowered: They respect your boundaries
A healthy relationship involves understanding and following each person’s boundaries. Someone who encourages you to set and maintain your boundaries is invested in your mental health.
This means they don’t push you to do or say things that don’t resonate with you. They don’t manipulate or remember the things you have said to use them against you in the future.
7. Appreciated: They love how authentic you are
When you can be your true self around someone, it's a sign that they're good for your mental health. They celebrate your quirks and individuality, which boosts your sense of self-worth. You can say absolutely anything, feel heard, and they know what's happening inside of you. They love how honest you are and how your emotions effectively communicate what's happening for you inside. These are signs someone is good for you.
8. Strengthened: They offer a helping hand, not a crutch
There's a fine line between support and enabling. A person who is good for your mental health will support you while encouraging you to face challenges head-on. A healthy relationship is one where you're encouraged to be independent and pursue your personal goals and interests.
You want to find people you share a mutually respectful relationship with, people who ask appropriate questions, invest time with you and are honest.
The deal breaker in choosing who will be good for your overall health during tough times. Someone who will invest time but not make you feel sad or indebted to them, someone who admits mistakes and communicates openly.
9. Understood: They understand you without words
Sometimes, they get how you feel before you do. Their empathy can turn a rough day into one that feels a little less heavy. They love you for you, and that includes your independent streak. They champion you while always being there to support you.
Meaningful relationships happen with people who can express recognition, communicate openly, and have good mental health.
10. Elevated: They elevate you
They see the potential in you that you might be blind to. People who elevate you are beneficial to your mental health. This often means they are mentally healthy themselves. They nudge you gently towards your dreams because they believe in your power to soar.
A person who is good for your mental health will be happy with your achievements. They aren’t competitive with you and realize your success doesn't diminish theirs.
11. Part of something bigger: They share and respect your values
Alignment in core values creates a shared understanding.
They get what you stand for, including your boundaries, and support your mental health by reinforcing your life's principles.
Emotional vulnerability is a challenge with them at times, but vulnerability makes it easier to create meaningful relationships with people who share your values.
When vulnerability is a challenge to them, you understand their perspective and try your best to be a beneficial part of their life.
12. Celebrated: They celebrate your quirky side
Your buddy gets that your quirks are your superpowers. No masks are needed. You can come as you are. They listen and deeply understand you and can listen and integrate all the parts of you and reflect that.
This also means they have a grasp on unique perspectives and can embrace all of you. Their inner world is as rich as yours, which nourishes your authenticity.
13. Connected: They are empathetic
Meaningful relationships are often related to connecting with people who have empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. A person who practices empathy can help you healthily process your emotions.
Emotionally healthy people, who are good for your mental health will be open to growing with you. They seek positive relationships as well. They model good self-care and understand change is a part of life. They embrace change rather than resist it.
Photo: Mikel Allica via Shutterstock
14. Joyful: They make you laugh
Never underestimate the power of humor for mental health and self-care. Laughter reduces stress and can make you feel more connected to someone. Maybe they share funny Instagram reels or cat videos that connect you. My favorite moments during lonely times are checking my Instagram feed from my best friend, who knows me and gets me.
Keep these gems close. They are the gold standard for friends and confidants and benefit your mental health. They are the kind that make life a little brighter, a little lighter, and a whole lot more enjoyable.
When you see these signs, cherish them; you have found someone on your squad for mental wellness and joy.
Jacqueline Neuwirth is a Certified Life Coach, CPCC, and Master Neurolinguistic Programming Practitioner. She helps people find love, heal from toxic relationships, boost confidence, and improve relationships.