Falling out of “love” can be a problem for long-term couples. Many factors can contribute, causing an unexpected rift. But you can act to avoid this in your own relationship if you put effort into maintaining what you and your partner share
Changes in Your Life and Your Relationship
We go through constant change in life, some that we never expected to encounter, but we work with or around them nonetheless. Change is an important part of your relationship, too, and something you should be conscious of. Over time, most committed long-term couples find that their partner changes in ways never expected.
For example, a partner may become more lax in how they approach the relationship, or seem less caring as time goes on. This could be because he or she may have minimized certain parts of their personality, past life, or relationships that they felt would be disagreeable to their partner. Or the change may have less to do with the past and more so with actual changes in someone’s desires or personality over time.
Whatever the reason, profound change in a relationship can take a toll and cause rifts to form.
Taking Each Other For Granted
People in long-term relationships grow to feel they know their partner better than anyone else. That’s probably true for most couples, but it’s also true that communication with your partner is still very important to maintaining what you have.
Just because you feel you know how your partner would react to something, or what they would of expect of you in a given situation, doesn’t mean that you’re right. Taking your partner’s mindset for granted can make your partner feel less valued in the relationship.
What Communication Can Do For You and Your Partner
Be open and honest with each other. If you feel your partner has changed in a way that might cause you to re-evaluate the relationship, speak with him or her about the change. They may feel the same way about you, and the only way to know is by communicating well with each other.
If you and your partner work to stay on the same wavelength, you can avoid feeling as though you’ve grown apart, and you’ll better understand the changes your partner may be experiencing as they happen.
As long as you’re willing to both hear each other and work with each other, you can avoid many of the common reasons couples fall out of “love.” Want more help? Speak with a Houston Relationship Therapist today about other proactive solutions for you and your partner.
