During the first year of your relationship you can’t keep your hands off of each other. You text, call, and want to spend every waking moment with each other. You want it to last forever. But will it? You worry…Is it always going to be this way? How can you know?
Here are some statistics that you may find interesting:
If you date for three months then it’s likely you’ll be dating for four years.
Around 40 to 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce.
Statistics show that only 80 percent of people who are married or separated ever believed that marriage is supposed to be for life.
You can never be 100 percent sure, but here are the signs, according to experts, that your relationship will keep going strong past your golden anniversary.
1. You can have fun doing nothing.
Relationships can be fun and exciting as you share your day and your lives. But sometimes it’s the times that you’re just sitting and relaxing quietly, without entertaining each other, that really matter.
To be comfortable with each other and just enjoy each other’s company is a big part of a healthy relationship. Most people equate silence to feelings of discomfort, but in a good situation, the ability to be silently happy with your partner spells long-term love!
2. You fight well together.
Name calling, gaslighting, and the silent treatment are all unhealthy ways to heatedly discuss the issues you may be having. It’s unrealistic to think that you will never fight with your partner (and not fighting is an issue of its own), but the key is to fight so that each person feels heard and respected—without resorting to hurtful and manipulative tactics.
In successful long-term relationships, arguing is always constructive, and both parties are interested in resolving the problem quickly.
3. You have each other’s backs.
In healthy, long-lasting relationships, the couple supports each other through good times and bad times, when they agree and when they disagree.
If you and your partner talk through things, support each other through life’s obstacles without judgment, and put each other’s needs and happiness at the top of the “things most important” list, then odds are the two of you are meant to be together forever.
4. You have friends together.
A new study revealed that double dating helps build stronger bonds with your partner and makes you feel more connected. Research showed that the more time a couple spent with their friends and shared personal details of their lives, the closer it brought them together.
Researchers think this is because these high-self-disclosure interactions increase feelings of passionate love and cause the partners to see each other in a new light.
5. You smooch a lot.
This isn’t much of a shocker. Kissing is the distinguishing feature of all romantic relationships, and a new study proves that. Researchers found that as time goes on in a relationship, the importance of the kiss grows, and they concluded that it’s one of the most important things in maintaining a long-term relationship.
The more you and partner like to kiss, the more satisfied you will be with your relationship, and the longer it will last. So go ahead: Pucker up like no one’s watching.
6. You can make each other laugh.
Laughter has such a positive impact on a person’s well-being. It relieves feelings of loneliness and depression, increases happiness, reduces stress, and boosts the body’s immune function. It also bonds people together and fosters connectivity.
Experts say that it’s one of the most important things a couple can do together. So if you and your SO do lots of chuckling together, you can guarantee there will be lots more to come.
7. You don’t resort to games.
Couples who are committed to each other don’t reduce themselves to playing games with each other. They don’t ignore each other or blow each other off. They don’t purposely not text back or write short, cryptic messages.
People in healthy relationships have their partner’s best interest at heart and don’t waste time with manipulative behavior. They’re direct and straightforward, because at the end of the day, their goal is to become closer and more connected to their partner; resorting to games makes a couple less connected.
8. You respect each other.
This is a biggie. For a relationship to be healthy and long lasting, each partner must have respect for the other. They must respect each other’s opinions, their time, their work, their ideas, and their thoughts.
Without respect and open, honest communication, a relationship may crumble under the weight of hurt and resentment.
9. You’re grateful and you tell them so.
Do you and your honey say things like “thank you so much,” “I’m grateful that you put gas in my car,” and “I’m so lucky to have you”? If you do, that’s a super good sign!
Research shows that the couples who express gratitude toward each other have the happiest, healthiest, and longest-lasting relationships.
10. They make you a better person.
Someone should never try to change who you are, and you shouldn’t feel like you have to change for someone else, either. But if your partner inspires you to be a better person and improve yourself, that’s awesome!
Improvements such as caring about others, being more punctual, thinking before you speak, and offering small acts of kindness to others are all great signs that you’re with the right person—and that you’re in it for the long haul.
11. You talk the same talk.
We don’t mean you always agree with each other! But studies show that if you and your SO often use the same words, you have a higher likelihood of getting together and staying that way.
Researchers found that when two people have an interest in each other, they automatically use language in the same way. Do you and your love often sound the same when you talk?
12. You spoon when you sleep.
Awwww, like you needed another reason to cuddle? Research shows that spooning together is a good sign! New studies show that couples who sleep less than an inch apart—and like to touch each other—are more likely to be happier and healthier than those who avoid each other while they snooze.
The distance in bed is believed to be symptomatic of how a couple is doing while they’re awake. So snuggle away for long-term love!
13. You are both in control.
This goes two ways. In a lasting relationship, both partners feel like they have equal control over their romance. No one dominates the partnership, and each has equal say about important decisions.
This goes for outside influence as well. It’s really hard to be in a healthy relationship when you have, say, your parents judging you and forcing their opinions, or your bestie offering her side and her advice. Long-lasting couples don’t allow outside people to influence or control their relationships.
14. You can trust each other.
Trust is everything. Without trust, there’s no point in continuing a relationship. If you don’t trust your partner, how can you ever do any of the above-mentioned things that make for a long-lasting, happy relationship?
Distrust breeds paranoia, increases the likelihood of controlling behavior, and leads to overall relationship dissatisfaction. Full trust, on the other hand, allows both parties to be free to be themselves and to love each other openly and honestly. Thisis the ticket to a blissful relationship, forever.
