Love is fickle. At any point one partner can be more or less committed to the relationship than the other. When love begins to flicker it makes sense that one could be concerned that the relationship might be changing. Whether it is changing into something deeper or fizzling out is up to both partners to process together. This work will take time and it is up to fate as the details of how your union will evolve.
To help keep the anxiety at bay, pay attention to these nine signs to see if your love is as strong as you hope it to be:
- You Both Prioritize Time Together Away from a Group
Only when you and your partner are able to focus on one another can you understand your connection. If you spend quality alone time together filled with substantive conversations and inside jokes, then your relationship is healthy.
2. Your Bond Has Been Strengthened by the Rough Times
Love is simple during the easy times. It when you are able to persevere through illness, money, career, or family drama that you can see the strength of your relationship.
By being present, supportive, and open to feedback partners are able to show others that this love is more than just lust.
3. You Have An Easy Style of Conversation
If you both are able to talk freely and have conversations with depth, then you are on the right track! Conversations between partners should be easy, free-flowing, and authentic. Healthy relationships know how to strike the right balance between fun topics, and more serious issues without either partner feeling overly drained.
4. You Increasingly Spend More Time Together
Love is hard to sustain with emotional distance. It must slowly evolve, being nourished with quality interactions and shared memories. When you first dated it made sense that you saw each other more frequently. But if you are only seeing each other a few times a month and are barely engaged, then you have some serious red flags! You both should be on the same page as to quantity and quality of time spent together.
5. You Both Feel Free to Be Yourselves
Couples with a strong bond are authentic to their needs, desires, goals, and values. They know that their partner respects and honors them as they truly are, and not a manufactured image.
6. You Show Up
Sure, when you first dated you met at convenient times. Now that you are serious, love means showing up when your partner is stranded by the side of the road at 3AM. Losing a bit sleep shouldn’t matter if you truly care about a person. What should be prioritized is their physical and mental wellbeing and not just your own personal happiness.
7. You are Involved in Each Other’s Family and Social Circles
It takes a village to keep love healthy. When you are invested in a person, you must also become involved in their interpersonal life as well. If you are in a committed relationship but have never met their mother or best friend, it is time you both have a serious discussion about your future together.
8. You Both Can Travel Together Without Drama
There is nothing like the stress of travel to bring out the true nature of a relationship. From the planning, packing, transit and experience of a trip there will be unique insights and lessons. If you can travel together while making compromises, living in the moment, and laughing at the hiccups then you have excellent compatibility.
9. You Have More Than Just Sexual Adventures
Physicality is definitely one of the most enjoyable parts of a relationship, but romance is about both lust AND love! Pay attention to how your partner wants to spend their next weekend together with you. If they just want to roll you around in the sheets, then they most likely aren’t in love with you and you could be dealing with a dead-end partner.
