Strong women don’t need a relationship to validate their self-worth, and can get by on their own in this world. However, in relationships, a strong woman brings her own positive traits into the partnership, and acts as the glue holding everything together. Strong women seem to get mislabeled and improperly judged in today’s world, but they have a place in society and don’t back down just because other people feel uncomfortable with them.

Even though they have a tough exterior, strong ladies know how to express their feelings and love deeply, and they make wonderful partners in a relationship.

Here are 5 things strong women do differently in relationships:

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1. They take ownership of their feelings.

Strong women don’t blame their partner for how they feel; they take charge of their own emotions. Of course, this doesn’t mean they allow their partner to walk all over them, but rather, strong women don’t play victim. If they have an argument with their significant other, a strong woman will sit down and have an open, honest discussion without causing more turmoil. They don’t run from their feelings, but they don’t wallow in self-pity, either. They’ve dealt with many challenging situations in their life, and therefore, know how to handle the roadblocks in relationships.

No matter if their partner made them feel a certain way or not, they check in with their emotions first before they lash out at their partner unnecessarily.

2. Strong women accept their partner wholeheartedly.

A strong lady doesn’t try to change their partner – they love and adore them just as they are. Strong women love themselves, and therefore, can love others just as easily. They feel comfortable with themselves, so they allow their partner to have that same sense of self-assurance. A strong woman likely went through hell and back learning how to feel at ease with themselves, and realize that their partner deserves someone who will love them despite their flaws.

Strong women recognize the beauty in everyone, and see someone’s self-worth even if they don’t always see it themselves.

3. They express their feelings openly.

A strong femals feels comfortable sharing their deepest secrets and darkest emotions with their partner. In a relationship, expect a strong woman to ask you about your feelings regularly. Not only does she pay acute attention to her own feelings, but she keeps her partner’s emotions in mind as well. A strong woman realizes that for a relationship to work, both people must feel totally comfortable communicating openly and honestly about their feelings, as this builds trust in the relationship.

4. They don’t rely on their partner for acceptance or validation.

Most importantly, strong women don’t need anyone else to accept them in order to feel happy with themselves. A strong woman already has done all the inner work necessary in order to feel complete within herself, and she understands that self-development never ends. She practices self-love and self-care every day in some way, because she realizes that in order to have a successful relationship, she must clear out any negative energy in her life first. A strong woman validates herself by doing everything in life out of love and compassion for both her and others.

Because she accepts herself so thoroughly, she can easily accept others as they are, too.

5. Strong women take care of their partner.

A strong woman puts her partner’s needs first, no matter how busy life gets. She cares deeply for her significant other, and will do anything to make him or her happy. Strong women don’t consider it a weakness to enjoy taking care of someone or letting someone into her life in such an intimate way – they crave a deep connection with someone, and actually love having someone to look after.

Strong women don’t care about the stereotypes associated with being an independent, confident person in today’s world. They simply feel comfortable in their own skin, and therefore, make better lovers and friends in general. Strong women, contrary to what you might think, are deeply in tune with their emotions, and have bigger hearts than you could ever imagine.

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