Learn About Various Stages of a Relationship

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Let's be real — feeling attracted to someone and having them like you back is amazing. The first few days are magical, and you can even see yourself as a person giving dating advice to other young couples. Nowadays, most people get dating advice from movies, music, and TV shows where everything is orchestrated, but, in reality, the situation is quite different. Let's take a look at the basic stages of a relationship.

5 Main Stages of a Relationship

• Honeymoon stage

The first stage is where you just met him or her, probably on a dating site or in person. Everything about them looks great — how they dress, how they talk, how they are good at listening to you, etc. In this dating phase, your hormones are all focused on the positive side, and you deeply feel this is the angel you've been waiting for. The sex at this level is deeply passionate and frequent, and you can see that happily ever after rolling.

• Doubting stage

Well, nothing lasts forever in this life. After the blissful honeymoon stage, your eyes start to open slowly, and you begin to see your partner as they are. Somehow you may hate how they chew food or dislike how they forget basic rules like leaving shoes on the mat. All their imperfections become more obvious one by one, and you may wonder if you have made a mistake. This is a critical stage in your dating journey.

• Disillusionment (disappointment) stage

If you made it past the second dating stage as a couple, that means you love each other. However, it doesn't get any easier from that point on. Your partner's shortcomings have already hit the surface, and you can never push them under the rug even if you wanted to. You hate their spending habits, how they snore at night, even the walking style seems a bit awkward now. You feel disappointed and may start to contemplate leaving. Advancing from this dating phase can be tough.

• Decision stage

At this dating level, the cards are on the table. You know your partner's strengths, weaknesses, and all there is to know about them. It even gets boring because the thrill of the chase in the honeymoon stage is already gone. You may find yourselves getting into nasty fights at times or not talking at all. You may even find yourself leaving the house for long hours to avoid them. And you have to decide whether to stay or leave. If you stay, you have to work on communication and conflict solving skills.

• Commitment stage (wholehearted love)

In case you made it to the top, kudos to you. This is the stage of self-awareness and flexibility where you realize that no one is perfect and everyone is special and unique in their way. You are willing to listen to your partner and even compromise on some of your positions. You have finally become a team. You start to share each other's joys and sorrows. Finally, you are enjoying dating in full and are looking forward to what the future holds with zeal.

More Tips About Relationship Stages

It's good to note that there's no ultimate destination in dating where you will have made it, and the rest will be a rollercoaster. It's always a work in progress. Like everything in life, relationships are affected by seasons. There is a season to fight, and there is a season to make merry. There are times when you wallow in self-pity, and there are times that you acknowledge how great your partner is. You have to master patience, flexibility, and resilience.

The reason why dating and marriages are meant for mature people is that by then, you will have learned how to practice self-control, accommodate others' views, and solve conflicts amicably. Are you a person who can have a miscommunication with your partner but invite them out for a movie or dinner nonetheless? Can you still treat them with respect even when they have wronged you? Maturity plays a major role here. Always remember to:

• Treat your partner with respect
• Keep calm during conflicts
• Be willing to open up and have a mature discussion
• Apologize when you are wrong