Relationships usually don’t just come to an end. They go through a phase where everything is falling apart but people fail to pick up on the signs because they’re not paying enough attention. If you notice these things happening in your relationship, it means the flames are dying out. So you can either walk away before things get super messy or try to salvage what you have.
- You’re just going through the motions. Has your relationship become more about convenience than anything else? Are you in it just because of the things you can get out of it or because you’re terrified of being single and starting over? Are you doing things out of obligation and not because you really care? Or maybe you’re not really happy, just comfortable. If all you’re doing is putting in the bare minimum and nothing more, your relationship is headed for the rocks.
- You keep having the same argument over and over. When you and your partner seem to be complaining or fighting about the same issue constantly without resolving it, that’s a sign of trouble. It means you no longer care about making each other happy or working through your issues. One or both of you consistently feels misunderstood or ignored. What’s the point of being together anymore if all you do is bicker?
- You no longer talk about things that matter. Healthy, thriving relationships are built on communication. You need to be able to have meaningful conversations with your partner about your emotions, career, dreams, future plans, etc. If silence has become the third wheel in your relationship or the only time you talk to each other is to ask about your day, it’s not looking good.
- There’s little or no sexual intimacy left. If you and your partner are both sexual people but you’ve reached a point where your needs for sexual intimacy are worlds apart, that’s a bad sign. If you’re rarely having sex and when you do it feels more like an obligation than something you want or need, it’s usually a pointer that you’ve lost interest in your partner.
- You feel bored around your partner. At the start of the relationship, you loved spending every moment together. You tried new activities, talked about everything under the sun. Even the mere sight of them got you all excited. But these days you dread having to be alone with them. When you’re together all you do is watch TV or play around on your phone. It seems like you have less and less to say to each other.
- You or your partner pick unnecessary fights. Constant fighting, especially over trivial issues is a sign of irritation. You know that something is not right with your relationship, but you refuse to address it. You’re hoping if you fight enough, the other person will get the message and break things off so you don’t have to be the bad guy.
- Your partner’s flaws start to outweigh their strengths. Love makes you see the good side of your partner rather than the bad. You know they have flaws, but you just don’t notice them so much or even care. So when you start keeping a running list of all your partner’s negative qualities and finding it harder to come up with good things to say about them, that could be a sign that the relationship is dying.
- Making future plans don’t excite you anymore. You’ve stopped talking about yourselves as a “we” and started using “I” more frequently. You no longer dream about the things you want to do together someday. The idea of going on a romantic trip with them months from now doesn’t make you count down the days. It fills you dread instead. It might be time to consider calling it quits.
- You’re constantly missing your life as a single person. It’s normal to wish you were single every once in a while. But if you’re continuously daydreaming about being single, dating someone else, and thinking about ending your relationship, that’s a problem. Your subconscious is trying to let you know that you have isn’t working anymore. Listen to it and set yourself free.
- You stop doing your couple’s rituals. You know those things you used to do together? Could be going on dates every Thursday, bingeing a particular TV show, or taking dance classes. When one or both of you no longer wants to participate in those activities or starts doing them alone, it’s time to start collecting your stuff. That’s a sign that your relationship is approaching the end of the road.
