When you meet someone for the first time and fall in love with them, you probably imagine strolling off into the sunset and living happily ever after. At least, that's what all the Disney movies and romantic comedies tell us.
Relationships have to start somewhere, right? Obviously, not all relationships start out the same. Some couples meet through mutual friends or in the workbut others are known through a dating application. Regardless of how a relationship begins, there are different stages in the bonding process.
Stage one: falling in love and romance
A typical relationship begins with an intense feeling of mutual infatuation. You start to feel that you can't live without each other.
They are so attracted to each other that nothing can separate them. Sparks fly and romance ignites. They only focus on the positive aspects and choose to ignore each other's flaws.
You want to know everything about your partner and everything is new and interesting. Sex is never enough and you will do it every chance you get. The heat is high.
They fantasize about a perfect and beautiful life together and might even think about settling down with this person. They ignore differences and enjoy each other's company. This is also known as the honeymoon phase of a new relationship.
Second stage: adaptation
What comes after the honeymoon phase of a relationship is also referred to as the adaptation stage. They spend hours together talking and trying to get to know each other better. They will talk about topics such as former partners, the interest, passions, dreams, the tastes y aversions of each other. You begin to see the real side of your partner.
As you discover and reveal more about your partner, you begin to form an opinion about them and start to have expectations.
When your expectations are met, you are elated. But when they are repeatedly ignored, you are disappointed.
At this stage, both of you are looking to see if your needs are being met by the other. Over time, differences begin to appear and once the initial sparks die down, you'll begin to realize that maybe you're with someone you're not as compatible with.
At this stage of dating, you will need to find answers to clarify your doubts and ask yourself if you are willing to adapt to this person in order for the relationship to survive to the next stage.
Stage three: challenge
At this stage of dating, anger, frustration and disappointment appear. The relationship starts to become challenging and this is when the strength of your relationship is tested.
At this stage of the relationship, you try to understand your partner's needs and expectations. You may, voluntarily or involuntarily, try to satisfy them because you feel that your own needs are not being met.
What comes after the honeymoon phase of a relationship is that you begin to feel uncomfortable and easily annoyed with your partner's habits, desires or needs. This is when both try to change the behavior and character of the other to suit their own needs.
At this stage of courtship, a power struggle ensues. In the relationship, both of you try to dominate in the hope that one of you will adapt. In the stages of a new relationship, this is when you become vulnerable to attractions outside your relationship and you may be tempted to seek new emotions.
At this stage of courtship, couples often try to quickly end the relationship and break up. Or they continue the relationship with much pain and frustration. The relationship will stagnate over time and slowly die out.
Recognizing the stages of a relationship can help you better manage your expectations and commitments. Make sure you know conversation mistakes to avoid to improve your communication.
Stage four: total confidence
At this stage of the relationship, they are happy with each other and trust is completely built. If you reached this stage of dating, it means that you can predict your partner's behaviors and actions. You feel comfortable in each other's company as trust has been built.
However, this is also the time when they begin to take each other for granted. This is also known as the comfort zone. To survive this stage, don't take your relationship for granted. The romance will fade and it will be necessary for both of you to make efforts to keep the relationship alive.
Invest time and effort and continue to show appreciation for your partner. and do something out of the routine from time to time to keep the relationship fresh.
Stage five: sexual exploration
When everything finally clicks, you will start to be bolder about your sexual desires and not be afraid to tell your partner what you like. At this stage of the relationship, your sex life reaches its peak.
You'll want to try new things to spice up your sex life and keep things interesting, as it is possible that the initial passion you had has already subsided.
What comes after the honeymoon phase in a relationship is that there is a risk of a decreased libido. Either of you could start looking to have an affair if there are differences in your sexual needs.
Understanding your partner's sexual needs and expressing your own is key to making the relationship work at this stage. A healthy and active sex life, along with communication and understanding, will strengthen the bond with your partner and stabilize the relationship.
Stage six: stability
Reaching this stage of dating means that you have met each other's expectations. They would have already faced many challenges together and learned to cope with them.
At this stage of the relationship, both have matured and evolved. They have learned to accept each other's differences and focus on making the relationship work, looking beyond the differences.
Each stage of the relationship requires a different approach. Read about the differences between normal dating and sugar dating to adjust your expectations accordingly
Instead of trying to change each other, they learned to adapt and respect each other's needs and expectations. They learned from their mistakes and compromised instead of wasting time trying to correct them.
As love deepens and matures, you accept the fact that your partner is different from you and learn to respect each other's boundaries. At this stage of the relationship, you must step out of your comfort zone and make efforts to take your relationship to the next level.
Don't let your relationship be affected by daily routines and predictability. Love and connection are of utmost importance here.
Planning your future together, supporting each other in your careers, and getting involved in each other's interests is one way to enhance your relationship. These small steps will make it more likely that you and your partner will commit to a long-term relationship.
Stage seven: commitment
At this stage of dating, you accepted the reality of what a real relationship is. You stop having unrealistic expectations of your partner, you love and trust each other. You accept your partner as he/she is, with all his/her strengths and flaws.
If you made it this far in the relationship stage, you no longer have to worry about losing your partner, because trust, love and security are based on a solid foundation. You are committed to your relationship and would do anything to make it work.
You learned to manage the expectations of others. However, that doesn't mean you take your partner for granted. Make a conscious effort to continue to better yourself and grow together as a couple. Your partners may love you just the way you are, but they will be happy to see that you want to change for the better.
This is a good time to get rid of bad habits that affect your health and relationships. Surprise your partner with something he or she wasn't expecting. Taking such steps will increase the likelihood that you and your partner will commit to the relationship and bring the relationship one step closer to marriage.
Stage eight: co-creation
At this stage of the relationship, you have chosen to consolidate the deal and take your relationship to the next level as a team.
They love and appreciate each other in many ways and want to spend the rest of their lives together.
What comes after the honeymoon phase in a relationship is that you may spend much more time contributing to projects together or separately and forget to spend time nurturing your relationship.
Take the time to bond and nurture your relationship. It takes effort to grow the relationship. Make regular appointments. Book a vacation at home where work doesn't get in the way. Buy small gifts for each other, or simple encouragement and compliments can do wonders for your relationship. Make each other feel good knowing that you are in the right relationship.
Your relationship with your partner will strengthen and grow as you move from one stage to the next. There is no exact timeline as to when you will both reach each stage. Don't worry if you don't see yourself reaching all the stages soon.
Because the relationship never has an end unless you want it to. If you and your partner love each other wholeheartedly and continue to nurture your relationship and grow together, nothing else matters.. Relationships are a work in progress. It takes a constant investment of time and effort to last a lifetime.
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