If any romantic relationship – no matter how happy you are – there comes a point when you start wondering, “Is our relationship headed in the right direction?” But how do you know that your relationship has an expiration date?
Luckily, there are ways to tell if your relationship is on the right track.
1. You Share Emotions Together
Anyone can talk, but not everyone can share emotions. An emotional bond is a vital element of any healthy romantic relationship.
If you and your partner don’t hesitate to share your deep emotions, concerns, thoughts, and feelings, you have a strong connection. That connection creates intimacy, which is an essential part of a relationship that is headed in the right direction.
2.You Engage in Frequent Non-Intimate Touch
Although physical intimacy is also a vital element of any romantic relationship, don’t underestimate the importance of frequent non-intimate touch.
Touching one another outside of physical affection is one of the few tell-tale signs that your relationship is on the right track. In fact, a study found that couples who engage in frequent non-intimate touch such as cuddling, hugging, and kissing on the face tend to be more satisfied in their relationship.
3.You Pick Up Each Other’s Habits and Interests
Although this might not seem that important, but taking on one another’s habits, interests, and mannerisms plays a crucial role in determining the strength of your relationship.
When you pick up new interests, habits, phrases, or movements from your romantic partner, you engage in the process known as “self-other overlap.” The term was coined by researchers in a 1996 study that found that self-other overlap is a sign of love, closeness, and emotional connection.
4. You Support Each Other’s Opportunities
When lovers support each other’s opportunities, not only does it benefit the person seeking self-growth and self-expansion, but also boosts the strength of their romantic relationship.
A 2014 study found that people are happier in their romantic relationship when their partner actively supports their efforts to tackle new challenges such as learning a skill, changing their job or profession, training, trying to get into fitness for the first time, etc.
Researchers found that active affirming support (comments like, “Yes, you’ll do a great job!”) is more effective in strengthening the emotional bond than passive comments along the lines of “Yeah, sure, go for it.”
5. Other Attractive People Don’t Matter to You
Couples whose relationship is headed in the right direction pay little to no attention to other attractive people.
In fact, a 2009 study even found evidence that when people truly love each other, their relationship commitment serves as a block against the desire to look at other attractive people.
Yes, love has a defense system that disables the “wandering eye” syndrome, which is when your partner looks at another person with lust.
In other words, if you noticed that your partner pays too much attention to other attractive people, it’s probably because your relationship has lost its spark.
If you noticed that you cannot resist the temptation to look at other attractive people even when your partner is present, you may have a problem here.
6. You Feel Comfortable Around Each Other
This may not seem like a big deal, but when being with your partner gives you a satisfying sense of comfort, it’s a good sign that your relationship is doing just fine. This is especially true in relationships where partners are free to be themselves and don’t feel the need to hide who they really are.
If you, as a couple, overcome tough, embarrassing, or sad moments with comfort and mutual understanding, it’s an indication that your relationship is headed in the right direction.
7. You Need Each Other’s Company
Studies show that it’s perfectly healthy to give each other space and spend time away from your partner, it’s definitely a positive sign if you and your partner seek each other’s company.
If you want to spend as much time with your partner as you did months or years ago, it’s a sign that your relationship is on the right track. If you, on the other hand, would rather spend time alone or with someone else and you don’t feel excited about being around your partner, that’s definitely a bad sign.
The same can be said if you notice that your partner is reluctant to integrate you into their schedule to spend quality time together. It’s understandable that everyone is busy all the time, but if you enjoy hanging out with your partner, you don’t need to worry about your relationship heading in the wrong direction.
