Long or short, passion-fueled or stable, young or mature, all adult relationships have one thing in common: if we want them to last, they’re gonna take a lot of work.
Sadly, not all love stories end with happily ever after. Some of them come with an expiration date, whether we want to admit it to ourselves or not.
Embracing a painful truth such as this is never easy to do, yet we always seem to know when the time has come to do the right thing, no matter how painful it may be.
If you feel yourself and your partner are no longer close as you used to be and instead feel slowly growing apart, it’s time to ready your heart and ask yourself this question: is my partner really the right one for me?
They’re often jealous or judgmental of you
If the way you look, speak, make friends or advance in your career presents an issue with your significant other more often than not, it’s high time to address this red flag. The constant feeling of being watched and assessed negatively can ruin a relationship, and the insecurities that likely drive your partner’s actions will only cause more problems in the long run.
You’re the only one walking the walk
It’s all going well when you’re having fun together, but when the time comes to be adults and work on a relationship, you’re the only one making an effort? A relationship is a two-way street, so if your partner isn’t as interested in developing and nurturing it, all the trouble you go through will probably never be enough to keep you both where you are now
Your major life goals and values are entirely different
This is one of the most painful things a couple can face: you love each other, you do your best to stay together, yet you have nothing in common when it comes down to your core values and ideas of life. If your relationship suffers from this symptom, think long and hard before committing to it.
You hide more than you share
Silence is golden, but not when there’s nothing but. If you, your partner, or both tend to share your thoughts with friends, families, or strangers rather than with one another, it’s time for a serious relationship checkup.
You don’t laugh around each other anymore
Not every moment in life is the right time to burst into laughter, but if your partner and yourself regularly spend days without sharing this experience, take the time to inspect what went wrong. Unless some unfortunate occurrences in one of your lives cast a shadow on your joy, ask yourself how you got there and be prepared to give yourself an honest answer.
There’s no trust between you
If any of you can’t trust the other, whether it is to do something important that could affect you both or there’s excessive worry whenever one of you says they’re going to meet their friends for a few drinks, be on your guard. Distrust is a deep issue and the one that can wreck a relationship entirely.
Your partner is physically, verbally, or emotionally abusive
Nobody is on their best behavior 24 hours a day, but if your partner shows signs of abusive behavior and does so more than once, address the matter immediately. Confront them about their actions and carefully assess their reaction to this important conversation.
You can’t turn to them when you’re vulnerable or in crisis
If you’re often keeping to yourself and avoiding sharing your troubles with your partner because they might get upset or angry or they wouldn’t care or understand, all the evidence points to them not being the right person for your emotional needs.
You feel more like yourself when you’re alone
If you often feel relieved and unrestricted to be who you really are when your partner isn’t around, the time has come to analyze your relationship. There’s nothing wrong with feeling the joy of being on your own sometimes, but if your partner often makes you feel happier when they go than when they’re around, they might not be the person you should be in a relationship with.
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