It doesn’t last, but that’s ok.
The honeymoon phase. It feels like it could last forever. However, it’s called a phase for a reason. Don’t panic!! You’re not going to stop having feelings for your partner once the honeymoon phase is over, but it will feel different and it’s important to accept and embrace that.
So how do you know when it’s over? Here are some of the most common signs that the honeymoon phase is coming to an end.
1. You notice more of your differences.
It used to feel like you had a lot in common, but you’ve started to notice your differences. The more you learn about your partner, the more you realize that you’re not a perfect match.
Since you probably argue more frequently, these differences are brought to your attention more often.
You might also start noticing that you have some different goals and plans for the future.
While you enjoyed daydreaming about your future before, now you can’t agree on some important things, such as moving to another country or starting a family.
Near the end of the honeymoon phase, you notice that you’re not as compatible as you first thought.
2. You notice what you don’t like about them that much.
Sure, you love your partner, but there are some things that you don’t like about them that much, and you’re starting to realize that.
Again, the more you learn about your partner, the more of their flaws you start to notice. Their annoying little habits that you once found cute are now just plain annoying.
When the honeymoon phase is almost over, you start to realize that your partner is not as perfect as you first thought. There may be some things about them that you overlooked before, but now these things are starting to bother you.
3. You stop trying so hard.
After being in a relationship for a while, you start to put less effort into maintaining it and making your partner happy. You don’t try to impress them with fancy dates so often, and you rarely surprise them with thoughtful gifts.
You’ve stopped trying so hard to win them over because you know that they’re already yours. This could mean that you start taking them for granted or showing less affection.
People also stop trying to present themselves in the best possible light after being in a relationship for a while. You are ready to show your bad sides to your partner and stop trying to be perfect for them. If there are some annoying or gross things that you never did in front of your partner before, you will start doing them now.
4. You fight more frequently.
They often say that the honeymoon phase ends when you have your first big fight. For some couples, this turns out to be true.
You will start to fight more frequently as the honeymoon phase ends. You won’t rush to patch things up and you’ll be less afraid of losing your partner.
So, while your fights used to last for minutes before, now they might last for days. Maybe you’ll also start to act disrespectfully during fights and name-call or engage in a screaming match.
While your relationship seemed flawless before, now you realize that there are some issues that you need to deal with to make it work.
5. You feel less passionate about each other.
You probably still love each other, but the initial passion has faded somewhat. Your feelings are not as intense as they were, and you don’t engage in physical touch as often as you once did.
Your hugs, cuddles, and kisses don’t last as long as they used to, and you have sex less often than before. The spark might not be entirely dead, but it has died down.
For instance, while you used to enjoy public displays of affection, now you barely get a peck on the cheek when you’re out. Your sex life has probably turned into a routine by now, and you don’t experiment with new things anymore.
You even use the L word less often than before. All of this is natural to a certain extent, and just because you’ve stopped being all lovey-dovey doesn’t mean that the love is gone.
6. You compliment each other less often.
While you were focused on their positive traits before, now you notice more of your partner’s negative qualities. This also means that you don’t compliment them as often as you once did.
Sure, you still find them attractive, but you don’t feel the need to constantly point that out.
People generally start putting less effort into the relationship after the honeymoon phase. This often means that they also put less effort into making their partner happy with little things such as compliments.
7. You spend less time together.
After wanting to spend every waking hour with your new partner, you now crave more space and alone time. You’ve prioritized your relationship for a while, and now you feel like the other aspects of your life need your attention again.
So, you and your partner spend less time together. You don’t go on dates as often as you used to, and you don’t share that many fun, new experiences.
Most of the time you just like to hang out at home and chill instead of dressing up and going out. You both feel the need to have a life outside of the relationship and spend more time doing things on your own.
While you used to share a lot of interests before, now you have separate hobbies and do fewer things together.
8. You talk less often.
During the honeymoon phase, you used to talk for hours about everything and anything. Now that you’ve gotten to know each other better, things aren’t that new and exciting anymore, and you’re running out of stuff to talk about.
While you used to share your hopes and dreams, now you most often talk about everyday things.
Long meaningful conversations and daydreaming about the future have been replaced with talking about your work and family. You call each other less often and don’t text as often as you used to.
9. You’re not so excited anymore.
Sure, you probably still want to have a future with this person, but you’re not as excited about it as you used to be.
Things get much calmer and more peaceful after being in a relationship for a while. You’re still excited to see your partner, but only to a certain extent.
You don’t think that everything they say is fascinating anymore and you’re not as adventurous when you spend time together. The excitement dies down a bit with time, and this is entirely normal.
10. You don’t go on as many fancy dates.
Staying in and watching a movie has started to sound a lot better than a date in a fancy restaurant. Your fun and romantic dates have been replaced with pizza nights at home. In general, you’re not putting as much effort into spending quality time together as you used to.
During the honeymoon phase, you would put effort into planning romantic dates to impress your partner while trying new things together. Now, you’d rather just relax at home instead of going to all that trouble.
11. You start to feel bored.
Once dating and fun new activities stop, boredom can start to creep into the relationship. It’s easy to fall into a rut after being in a relationship for a long time. Everything turns into a routine, whether it’s your life in the bedroom or outside of it.
You rarely surprise each other, and you already know everything there is to know about each other. Your time together and your topics of conversation start to all look alike. As a result, you start to feel bored in your relationship.
The monotony of a long-term commitment can be a big change after the initial excitement of the honeymoon phase.
12. You don’t try to be your best self anymore.
People can get too comfortable in a relationship, and it reflects in how they look. You probably don’t put as much effort into looking your best for your partner. The two of you are most often dressed in something comfortable since you don’t go out as much as before.
But it’s not just that you no longer try to impress them with your looks, you simply don’t try to be the best version of yourself anymore.
When you first started dating, you wanted to leave a good impression and present yourself in the best possible light. Now that you’ve been in a relationship for some time, you no longer feel the need to hide your negative personality traits and bad habits.
