Every extraordinary thing in this world is supposed to be NOT easy and love is one of them. Being with the one you love and having a healthy relationship with them is one of the best things in this world. If you are dating someone or have been in a relationship before, you already know how hard it can get at times. We all fall in and out of love, but that should never be our motive. The whole reason of being in love is to be complete in your own imperfect way. One can’t compare the feeling of waking up next to the same person for their whole life.
Every relationship goes through a fair share of adversities. You are supposed to face a few problems in your relationship. That is how you are going to build a healthy and fulfilling bond. It is all about overcoming all those tricky relationship challenges and being stronger with every passing day. Chances are that you might be facing one of these relationship challenges in your life. Have a look at them and get to know how you and your partner can overcome them without any trouble.
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1. Maintaining personal boundaries
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This is one of the most common relationship challenges that couples face. There must be a time in your relationship when you could have felt suffocated. When you spend almost every single day with your partner, you don’t give them a much-needed personal space. It is a very thin line and we tend to cross it every now and then.
Try to understand that every individual has a personal space that should never be compromised. If you think your partner is crossing the boundary, then there is no harm in giving them a hint. Just let them know in a subtle way that they are making you uncomfortable. Don’t pick a fight or make a big issue out of it as it might go out of the proportion anytime.
2. Being stagnant with time
If you are not able to change or grow with your partner, you won’t be able to sustain your relationship. You should accept a change in your relationship, knowing that change is the only constant thing in this world. In fact, you should always come up with new ways to keep the spark alive. Never be one of those boring couples who can’t face each other after a few years.
3. Looking for an assurance
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If you have ever been in a failed relationship or had a troubled childhood, chances are that you will always ask for an assurance from your partner. They are giving you their time and space. They prefer being with you over anything or anyone else in this world. If that can’t assure you of their love, then nothing else can.
“If you love me, you will do this one thing for me!”
“Do you even love me or am I just one of those forgettable faces in the crowd for you?”
The more you look for an assurance, the distant your partner would get. If you are being taken for granted, then you can definitely raise your opinion. Asking for an assurance will never work.
4. Being haunted by the ghost of a past relationship
If you had a failed relationship, it doesn’t mean you are going to make the same mistake again. Remember, you were in love with someone else back then. This is different. You can’t judge your partner by something that was done by your ex. Too often we let the ghost of our past relationships haunt our present. This usually happens when we don’t give ourselves enough time to move on. Fall in love when you are ready and not when you are lonely. Else, your fear will make you commit the same mistakes all over again.
5. Surviving long-distance
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If you can survive a long-distance relationship, you can survive any relationship challenge.
It is time-consuming! You have to be at two different places simultaneously – I can’t put it in any other way. It’s like you are in a relationship with your phone. You manage your time just to talk to your partner for a few minutes. You rarely meet them and don’t let that physical separation destroy your relationship.
Sometimes, it takes months for you to see your partner. But the moment you see them, you realize it’s all worth it. A long-distance relationship will test you in every possible way. Sadly, not every relationship can survive it. Manage your time accordingly and keep communicating with each other. Patience is the key to surviving a long-distance relationship. Always have faith in your partner and trust them with your life. If the two of you are able to pull the long distance, then you can do anything!
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6. Managing finances
Most of the couples fight because they are not able to manage their finances. Right when you are moving in with your partner, have a detailed discussion regarding each other’s finances and how you are going to make it work. Make a monthly fund and come up with a list of estimated expenses. Don’t mix your money in your relationship. It would be a disastrous move.
7. The moving-in transition
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Moving-in is one of the toughest relationship challenges that you can face. It turns your entire life upside down.
“How far is the airport? How am I supposed to go to work from here?”
“Why is your bed so hard? I can’t sleep listening to this irritating sound!”
“Where is my phone? Where is my brush? Where is my comb? Where is my life?”
If you have just moved in with your partner, chances are that you would be quite frustrated for a while. Similarly, if you are asking your partner to move in with you, be prepared to have one hell of a journey. To make sure that you experience this transition smoothly, take it one step at a time. Don’t simply pack your bags and move in with someone. Start by spending a night and after a few months, stay with them for a weekend. Gradually, make those weekends into a few days to make sure you are familiar with their place and that it won’t be something new for you.
8. Having trust issues
Trust is the foundation of any relationship. Needless to say, if you don’t trust your partner, you can never really have a future with them. You need to trust them with the whole of your heart. If you had some trust issues in your past relationships, then it can certainly get quite tough. You need to make yourself believe that this is different. Let your partner know about it and start trusting them. There are plenty of trust-building exercises that you can do to make sure you are able to create a healthy relationship.
9. Lack of communication
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Most of the relationships don’t work because people are just not able to communicate with their significant other. Instead of having a conversation in your head, why can’t you simply confront your partner? Even if it’s a small issue, don’t hold yourself. If you start keeping secrets, it will become a habit and soon, you would start hiding the biggest of things from them. Every day, try to talk to each other for at least 15-30 minutes. Keep your phone aside and don’t be distracted by anything at all. Just talk to them.
10. Not mending each other’s broken heart
It is not just a failed relationship that can leave us heartbroken. If your partner has witnessed a tragedy or a life-changing event, you should be with them. They could have lost a loved one or might be having a setback in their career. Anyone can be with their significant other when they are happy. It is your support during a tough time that counts the most. You should be with them when they are grieving and should make an effort to make things better for them. It would be a challenge in itself, but you can’t simply ignore it.
11. Not knowing when to take the big step
Are you simply dragging your relationship for the sake of it? Are you afraid of taking that big step even after spending years with your partner?
If your answer is yes, chances are that you are already facing one of the most dreadful relationship challenges of all. Not knowing when to take a step back is as bad as being stagnant in a relationship. You should make sure that you are able to achieve all those big milestones with your partner and grow with each other in due time.
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12. Moving way too fast!
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This is the opposite of being stagnant. Often, when we meet someone we get so fascinated with the idea of having something new and exciting in our lives that we end up skipping all those crucial steps. It might give you a high for some time, but it would always end disastrously. There is a reason why we say falling in love with someone is a process and not an event. You should take all those crucial steps before reaching the destination. You can’t simply skip moving in or saying the L word to your partner and get married just like that. What’s the fun in that?
When it comes to love, only you can come up with your own timeline. Chances are that you would be lost a few times. You would even make a hell lot of mistakes. But as long as you are able to overcome these relationship challenges, you will come out stronger. The two of you would grow after overcoming every challenge and that would be so damn worth it!
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