Not every relationship is built to last forever. It’s a dismal and not so romantic point of view, but a realistic one. Here are some red flags that you might need to have a serious talk, enter couples therapy, or even break it off.
1. What you used to find totally hot or at least look the other way towards now annoys you like no other. This could be a mask for something deeper, or it may just be a temporary phase. If the way they slurp their soup or dress is getting on your nerves, think about what it could mean.
2. You start thinking about or looking at others in a romantic light. Whereas you might never have looked at other dudes before, it might mean a loss of attraction if you’re starting to get butterflies about another person.
3. When you think about your future, they’re not in it. When you two first got serious, all you could think about was spending all your time with each other. Now, you make plans without consulting them or thinking what they may want. You’ve basically moved on already, you just haven’t broken up with them.
4. You stop missing them. Now, this is normal if the two of you live together, but if you start to want to avoid them rather than miss them, that could be a red flag. If your partner was away for weeks and you’re not even thinking about them, you may not be attracted to them anymore.
5. They don’t make you smile or laugh as much as they used to. Maybe not even at all. Falling in love with someone’s humor is a big sign of active attraction. If they can’t make you laugh, it could be a dire sign that the spark has dwindled between you.
6. You feel more like close buddies than romantic partners. Maybe you still feel as though you love them a lot, you’re just not in love with them anymore differentiating between the two can be some muddy waters, but wanting to cuddle instead of make love could be a sign.
7. You need to talk yourself into date night instead of being excited about it. Most couples look forward to some steamy alone time in the evenings or on weekend, just because they enjoy being with each other. But if you find yourself convincing yourself rather than being eager, you may feel something is missing in your life that your partner isn’t fulfilling.
8. You don’t initiate calls or texts, and definitely don’t prioritize responding to their. At the beginning, you were always initiating flirty banter and maybe even fell asleep on the phone together. You may feel withdrawn and not want to always be in communication with them – sometimes space is space, but it can mean something bigger.
9. You start feeling trapped and suffocated whereas you used to clamber for every spare moment so you could Netflix and chill or talk for hour on end. Now, you’re looking for reasons to escape and would prefer alone time. We all need alone time but when it increases drastically, that’s food for thought.
