5 Stages That Every Relationship Goes Through

Every relationship goes through the dating stages. Even if you haven’t really been formally out on dates, you can experience these stages in your relationship. Throughout these stages you may experience attraction, dating, disappointment, stability and, finally, commitment. Checking the signs of these five stages of a relationship can help you learn whether or not you and your partner are destined for a lifetime of commitment.

Recognizing the stage of relationship in which you are helps you understand your true feelings for your partner. You are in a better position to realise that the movie version of romance eventually translates into something deeper and more subtle.

To advance through the relationship stages requires communication and hard work. Although these stages may vary in terms of a timeline for different couples, a couple most definitely doesn’t move on to the following stage if there is incompatibility or emotional immaturity.

Here are the five stages that your relationship goes through:

* Attraction and Romance

All couples experience this phase. In the beginning, when you are just getting to know each other, the fantasy stage sets in. How long this phase lasts varies, but it can be anywhere from a few months to about two years. Although not sustainable, this stage is a lot of fun. You tend to focus on similarities, magnify the virtues and ignore the flaws. You look for excuses to spend more time together because you just can’t have enough of each other. In fact, one of the most common and most dangerous practices in this stage is conflict avoidance, when you try to avoid any conflicts and pretend like it is never going to happen.

* Realism

Reality can set into your relationship slowly of at once. The reality phase typically lasts about six months, or as long as it takes for both of you to decide you want to stay together. You begin to notice the flaws of your partner. The fantasy romance doesn’t last forever and you begin to wonder if this relationship is going to work. This is often where relationships end because one person decides they've made a selection mistake. If you can accept each other's flaws, you can progress to the next level.

* Disappointment

What began as reality setting in during stage two often turns to disappointment in stage three. You might find yourselves experiencing anger and indulging in arguments over trivial things. Conflict can sometimes be healthy for a relationship but since you do not take time to see it for as it is, you might get a feeling that this relationship is doomed. Couples at this stage spend about a year working out their differences in an effort to get to a place of stability. If you're able to communicate in healthy ways and see positive progress, you're likely to move to the next phase.

* Stability

If a couple can navigate through the unstable waters of stage three, they will find stage four offers much rest and enjoyment. Couples spend roughly two years feeling stable before progressing into the final stage of commitment. Although you may sometimes get a feeling of boredom because the chase is over it is worthwhile to make efforts to spice up your standard life together to keep the spark alive.

* Commitment

Few couples make it this far, even couples who are married. In this stage, you are truly a team and have progressed through the five stages of love. If dating, this is the stage where you can get married and feel comfortable with that decision. It is a stage of mature and sustainable love that lasts forever and you no longer miss the romance stage. Once the commitment sets in, you are able to accept your partner for what they are and see a future together.