Wondering what relationship stage you’re in right now? Here are
the 9 relationship stages that all couples go through, no matter how the love
starts. By Elizabeth Arthur
Relationships are unique. And
one experience of love is never ever the same. You may have been in several
relationships in your life, and all of them may have been very different from
the earlier one. But there are a few traits about every single relationship
that binds all relationships along a similar path.
Relationship stages in your
love life
Relationships,
just like life, have their own stages. It starts off with infatuation and goes
through several stages along the way. And these stages are like tests that
check your compatibility with each other. Go wrong anywhere along the way, and
your relationship will take the brunt of the fall. Have you ever met a couple
who seemed like they were going to stay together forever, but ended up breaking
up a few years later? Perhaps, in all probability, they went wrong in one of
these stages of the relationship.
The 9 important stages
that all couples experience
Are you
in a new relationship? Or are you in a seasoned relationship with someone you've been with for several years? It doesn't matter how long your
relationship has lasted, because all the relationships will fit snugly in one
of these relationship stages. Find your own relationship stage here, and it’ll
definitely help you understand your own love life better.
Stage 1: The infatuation
stage:
This is
the first stage in every relationship. It almost always starts with an intense
attraction and an uncontrollable urge to be with each other. Both of you may be
intensely sexually attracted to each other, or both of you may just love the
cuddles and each other’s company. In this stage, both of you overlook any flaws
of each other and only focus on the good sides.
Stage 2: The understanding
stage:
In this
stage, both of you start getting to know each other better. You have long
conversations with your partner that stretches late into the night, and
everything about your partner interests and fascinates you. You talk about each
other’s families, exes, likes and dislikes and other innocent secrets, and life
seems so beautiful and romantic.
Stage 3: The stage of
disturbances:
This
stage usually forces its way into a happy romance after a few months of
blissful courting. Do you remember the first fight or angry disagreement you
and your partner had? For the first time ever in the relationship, both of you
confront each other over a conflict, even though it’s sorted out quickly.
Stage 4: The opinion maker:
In this
stage, both of you create opinions about each other. As the months pass by,
both of you know what to expect from each other, and you make an assumption
about your partner’s commitment towards the relationship. When these opinions
and expectations about your partner differ now and then in real life, it can
either leave you ecstatic or depressed. You don’t expect your man to buy you
flowers, but he does. You feel ecstatic. At the same time, you expect him to
pick you up from the airport on time. But he arrives an hour later because he
forgot all about picking you up. It depresses you.
Stage 5: The moulding stage:
You have
your own expectations from an ideal partner. And in this stage, both of you try
hard to mould each other to fit your own wants in a perfect partner. This stage
is a lot about give and take, and both partners constantly try to subtly
convince each other to change their behavior towards the relationship. This is
a power struggle, and one that can end the relationship if both partners are
domineering.
Stage 6: The happy stage:
If the
relationship survives past the moulding stage, both of you may have changed
equally for each other and understood each other’s expectations. In this stage,
the relationship cruises along perfectly and both of you may be blissfully
happy with each other. Almost always, this is the stage when both of you feel
like a perfect match. You may even decide to get engaged or get married. This
happy stage is also the stage of attachment when both of you truly feel
connected to each other and love each other intensely.
Stage 7: The stage of
doubts:
It’s been
several years since both of you have been in a relationship with each other.
And somewhere along the way, doubts start to creep in. The intensity of the
doubts depend on how happy both of you are in the relationship. You start to
think of your past relationships, your exes, and other prospective partners.
You tie your happiness in life with your relationship. If you’re unhappy, you
blame it on the relationship. In this stage, you start comparing your
relationship with other couples and other relationships. Would your
relationship survive this stage? It definitely could, as long as your
relationship isn't monotonous and repetitive.
Stage 8: The sexual
exploration or bust stage:
This is the
stage when your sex life starts to play a pivotal role. Either your sex drives
may change or one of you may get disinterested in sex. In
this stage, you either give up on passionate sex or constantly look for ways to
make sex more exciting. If sexual interests start differing here, one of you
may end up having an affair. But on the other hand, if you find creative ways
to make sex more exciting, your relationship could get better and bring both of
you a lot closer.
Stage 9: The stage of
complete trust:
This is
the happy stage when both of you love each other and trust each other
completely. But at the same time, the unbreakable trust in each other could
also turn into taking each other for granted. In this stage, both of you know
the direction of the relationship and both of you are completely happy with
each other and find it easy to predict each other’s behavior and decisions. But
with stability in love comes the urge to take each other for granted.
As
pleasant as this final stage of love may be, it’s still no excuse to take each
other lightly or stop appreciating each other, because love is an intense
emotion that can be rekindled by anyone else at any time if you fail to express
your romance to your lover.
If you’re in a relationship for a while, you may have experienced
all or most of these relationship stages. And if you’re still in a young love,
don’t let the dark side of these relationship stages scare you.
Instead,
look at these 9 relationship stages as stepping stones into a better future,
one that’s filled with a lot of love and happiness, just as long as both of you
remember to keep love alive all the time.
