Sky Eclat
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 17, 2012
- 57,830
- 216,323
Getting into a new relationship is like getting tickets to a destination that you know nothing about. It’s exciting yet nerve-wracking.
Think of your relationship as a train or bus that is taking you and your date or significant other on a trip, and during this trip, there are five stops. If one of you no longer enjoys the trip and gets off on one of the five stops, the trip ends midway.
The first five stages of a relationship are like that and every couple goes through them before they decide to spend the rest of their lives together through thick and thin.
When you’re new to a relationship, you feel somewhat nervous, excited, uncertain, or even disappointed if it doesn’t turn out as you anticipated. Regardless, to get to the next stage, you have to successfully pass the previous stage which gets more and more challenging.
This is the relationship stage that romantic movies love to show us!
But when you meet a person for the first time, either you instantly feel the attraction and chemistry between you or you get this awkward feeling around each other that slowly simmers down after your second date.
This stage is where you’re still learning the simplest things about each other, what the other likes, what they dislike, and each of you is automatically looking for the things you have in common. It’s exciting!
The levels of dopamine in the brain are running high, making you feel giddy and unable to stop thinking about this new person because you’re physically and emotionally attracted to them.
This stop in a dating relationship leads to the other stops where you’ll be tested for real!
This stage is also known as “the honeymoon” stage of a relationship where couples just love to gaze at each other in candlelight while wearing rose-tinted glasses!
Though you’re still bonding, the amazing things that you know about each other so far, plus the irresistible attraction between you, are enough to blind you to any flaws. You just want to be in your new favorite person’s arms and gush about how perfect they are for you.
Unfortunately, this stage fades away in a short time as reality sets in and you have your first argument! Now, to the next stage
In this stage, you begin to truly see your date for who they are and not the idealized version that you created in your mind.
When this happens, it can be quite challenging because you begin to think more rationally and critically about whether your values and lifestyles are really compatible, which is why it’s called the stage of “uncertainty.”
When you disagree about something, don’t freak out because it’s perfectly normal. Arguments are inevitable even in the most harmonious relationships, be it new or long-term, but if if you make use of healthy and open communication, there is nothing to worry about.
That is unless you discover that your values are too different to be long-term partners, or your date turns out to be a toxic person in disguise!
Congratulations, you’ve made it to the commitment stage after accepting each other’s true colors, knowing each other’s flaws, and loving them regardless.
By this time, you’re 100% certain that your partner is “the one” and now you’re both getting to enjoy each other’s true selves more profoundly and are loving the idea of building a future together. In fact, you are working towards it.
Your relationship is serious and you’ve probably introduced each other to your own families. In this stage, you think about moving in with each other or even tying the knot!
There is a feeling of stability and security in your relationship. You’re finally 100% close, comfortable, and fully yourselves in the relationship.
You are vulnerable and exposed to each other in a comfortable, intimate way because you just know everything about each other; your insecurities, biggest fears, habits, the good, the bad, and the ugly!
You are best friends, lovers, partners, and a powerful team. You tell each other about the small happening during your days, do things for each other effortlessly, and love each other unconditionally.
In this stage, you have long fallen deeply in love and find it difficult to be away from each other, knowing that at the end of the day, there is only one home to return to and it’s nowhere else but in each other’s arms.
Whether you met your new date through a friend or a dating app, or your friend is your date, it can be a bit awkward at first so bear with it!
And though every couple is unique, all relationships have to go through stages that challenge them and help them grow personally and as a couple. In the end, what matters is that both of you stay together until the last stop!
Think of your relationship as a train or bus that is taking you and your date or significant other on a trip, and during this trip, there are five stops. If one of you no longer enjoys the trip and gets off on one of the five stops, the trip ends midway.
The first five stages of a relationship are like that and every couple goes through them before they decide to spend the rest of their lives together through thick and thin.
When you’re new to a relationship, you feel somewhat nervous, excited, uncertain, or even disappointed if it doesn’t turn out as you anticipated. Regardless, to get to the next stage, you have to successfully pass the previous stage which gets more and more challenging.
This is the relationship stage that romantic movies love to show us!
But when you meet a person for the first time, either you instantly feel the attraction and chemistry between you or you get this awkward feeling around each other that slowly simmers down after your second date.
This stage is where you’re still learning the simplest things about each other, what the other likes, what they dislike, and each of you is automatically looking for the things you have in common. It’s exciting!
The levels of dopamine in the brain are running high, making you feel giddy and unable to stop thinking about this new person because you’re physically and emotionally attracted to them.
This stop in a dating relationship leads to the other stops where you’ll be tested for real!
This stage is also known as “the honeymoon” stage of a relationship where couples just love to gaze at each other in candlelight while wearing rose-tinted glasses!
Though you’re still bonding, the amazing things that you know about each other so far, plus the irresistible attraction between you, are enough to blind you to any flaws. You just want to be in your new favorite person’s arms and gush about how perfect they are for you.
Unfortunately, this stage fades away in a short time as reality sets in and you have your first argument! Now, to the next stage
In this stage, you begin to truly see your date for who they are and not the idealized version that you created in your mind.
When this happens, it can be quite challenging because you begin to think more rationally and critically about whether your values and lifestyles are really compatible, which is why it’s called the stage of “uncertainty.”
When you disagree about something, don’t freak out because it’s perfectly normal. Arguments are inevitable even in the most harmonious relationships, be it new or long-term, but if if you make use of healthy and open communication, there is nothing to worry about.
That is unless you discover that your values are too different to be long-term partners, or your date turns out to be a toxic person in disguise!
Congratulations, you’ve made it to the commitment stage after accepting each other’s true colors, knowing each other’s flaws, and loving them regardless.
By this time, you’re 100% certain that your partner is “the one” and now you’re both getting to enjoy each other’s true selves more profoundly and are loving the idea of building a future together. In fact, you are working towards it.
Your relationship is serious and you’ve probably introduced each other to your own families. In this stage, you think about moving in with each other or even tying the knot!
There is a feeling of stability and security in your relationship. You’re finally 100% close, comfortable, and fully yourselves in the relationship.
You are vulnerable and exposed to each other in a comfortable, intimate way because you just know everything about each other; your insecurities, biggest fears, habits, the good, the bad, and the ugly!
You are best friends, lovers, partners, and a powerful team. You tell each other about the small happening during your days, do things for each other effortlessly, and love each other unconditionally.
In this stage, you have long fallen deeply in love and find it difficult to be away from each other, knowing that at the end of the day, there is only one home to return to and it’s nowhere else but in each other’s arms.
Whether you met your new date through a friend or a dating app, or your friend is your date, it can be a bit awkward at first so bear with it!
And though every couple is unique, all relationships have to go through stages that challenge them and help them grow personally and as a couple. In the end, what matters is that both of you stay together until the last stop!
