Relationships are a beautiful thing, and many people in this world crave the companionship and intimacy of a romantic commitment. A significant other can serve as another source of support when you’re feeling down and a friend when you want to have some fun. There are so many levels to a devoted, sincere relationship, but there are also quite a few pitfalls that are easy to fall into.
Once you fall too deep into these pits, it’s pretty likely that you’ll become *that* couple.
We all know that couple. If you’re doing too many of these things, it might be time to rethink how you and your S.O. are interacting with each other.
1. You’re saying “I love you” before month one.
Can you truly love someone before you’ve known them for four weeks? Love is so much more than appreciation and affection (which we all experience in the honeymoon phase of the relationship). Saying “I’m infatuated with you” might be more accurate. There are some cases in which it might not be too soon to say I love you that early, for instance, if you’ve been friends with your S/O for a long time before. In that case, you probably love them as a dear friend. It takes time for a deeper romantic love to develop, and I firmly believe that it’s not possible for that to blossom in the short time of a month.
2. You spend every waking hour together.
It’s normal to want to spend time with your boyfriend or girlfriend, but there are limits to how much time you can spend together without it becoming unhealthy. Every person needs to be alone every now and then to develop their own identity independent of their significant other. Eating every meal together, scheduling all your classes together, spending your afternoons going from your place to their place, and then spending the night with them to repeat the same process the next day isn’t healthy.
3. You’re ignoring your friends.
Friends are important regardless of your relationship status. It’s not fair to you or your friends if you blow them off all the time so you can be with your boo. Skipping out on some friend events to hang with bae is normal, but if you’ve cut all your friends off, you might need to reevaluate. If you break up with your boyfriend or girlfriend, you might find that your friends don’t want to help you take the fall…
4. Your relationship is based heavily on physical intimacy rather than an emotional and mental connection.
Relationships consist of many levels and layers of bonding, not just physical touch. If all you ever do is cuddle and have sex, you aren’t reaping the benefits of a deep, devoted bond. In fact, you’re creating a flimsy relationship that’s likely to fall apart when you can’t be next to each other every day.
5. You’re holding each other back from living your own lives.
You deserve to have your own hobbies, likes and dislikes, and commitments other than to each other. It’s actually abusive for your S/O to prevent you from leading your own life, and vice versa.
6. You depend entirely on your partner, or they depend entirely on you.
Codependency is no joke and can arise in any type of relationship. It has the potential to drain you of life and seriously damage your self-confidence. If you’re in a codependent relationship, reach out for help. Seriously, the sooner the better.
Are you *that* couple?