partnership
5 warning signs your relationship isn’t as happy as you think it is
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How strong is your partnership really? It is not always easy to find this out in everyday interactions. These things could be hidden signs that the house blessing is lopsided — without you perhaps being aware of it.
There are big, unambiguous signs that there is a problem in a relationship. An affair, for example, or a disagreement on fundamental issues such as children or the entire life model. And then there are much more subtle signals that the partnership has gotten into trouble. In order to recognize them, we have to listen and look much more closely. And that is sometimes anything but easy. These five signs indicate that you should work on your relationship.
5 subtle signs your relationship is in trouble
1. You are annoyed by your partner’s messages
Your phone beeps, you see it’s a message from your sweetheart. What is your most intuitive reaction? No one expects us to jump for air with every short text message about toilet paper. But still, it should give you food for thought if your first reaction is an annoyed eye roll when your partner contacts you.
2. You have less and less interest in sex
How much sex we want and need in a relationship is very individual. And it’s also quite normal that after ten years together and maybe one to three children, the passion isn’t as intense as it was in the first few months of the relationship, when we were still in love and couldn’t keep our hands off each other.
First of all, it is important that when it comes to sex, your desired frequency harmonizes with each other. If one side wants to sleep together three times a week, but the other side is fine once a month, it will probably become a problem. And if one side loses interest in sex over time, it’s usually a sign that something is wrong. The most helpful thing here is to talk to each other honestly and carefully.
3. You have to constantly defend your partner’s behavior
Basically, it is of course elementary that we stand behind our treasure – after all, we are partners. But if you feel like you need to constantly overlook and make excuses for your partner’s bad behavior, something is wrong. Especially if other people around you repeatedly point out that he or she is behaving inappropriately. Nobody is perfect, but your relationship shouldn’t just consist of making excuses for your partner’s problematic behavior.
4. You keep arguing about trifles
Every couple fights every now and then – depending on the personality and phase of the relationship, arguments sometimes occur more often, sometimes less often. But maybe you’ve been feeling like you’re always bitching about little things lately. This can be the classic argument about the toilet seat or the tube of toothpaste. Or it’s about the TV program or the meal decision. A few harmless bitches aren’t necessarily a cause for concern. However, if you feel like you can barely have a normal conversation without one of you getting grumpy, it could be an indicator of a deeper problem.
5. You would rather spend time with friends than with your partner
It should actually be that simple: Of course we like being with our sweetheart and we prefer to do everything together. Eat, go to the cinema, travel. Now there are couples who don’t share all of these mundane or less mundane things with each other. And as long as both sides agree and are satisfied, that’s perfectly fine, of course. But if you are actually a couple who like to share all these things with each other and you or your partner suddenly don’t want to anymore, this can be a warning sign that something is wrong. Here you should ask yourself why one of you or even both of you suddenly prefer to spend time with other people than with your partner.
Ultimately, you know best what your relationship feels like. Nobody can look in from the outside, and after all there are very different types of partnerships. Also, that relationships change over time is not a concern. But if you feel like one or more of these points apply to you, it might be an idea to look at what’s behind them. Because many – if not all – interpersonal problems can be solved with good and honest communication.
Sources used: bustle.com, mindbodygreen.com