Whether you're at the beginning of a blossoming relationship or have been with your partner for years, every relationship goes through the same five dating stages. These five stages are attraction, reality, commitment, intimacy, and finally commitment.
It may seem pretty obvious, but relationships, whether romantic or platonic, grow over time and go through different changes as bonds are formed and intimacy develops.
As your relationship evolves through each of these stages, you will learn more about each other and determine if you and your partner are committed and destined to live together for life.
If you've started dating someone new or you're not sure what stage your current relationship is at, this blog is for you.
Below, we'll walk you through each of the five stages of dating, so you can determine where you and your partner are right now, and more importantly, if your relationship has the strength to become a long-term commitment. term.
Know more: How to start a new relationship?
1. Attraction
Attraction is the first stage of dating and plays a critical role in whether the connection can develop into something more.
Whether you meet naturally while hanging out with friends, family, or acquaintances, through a matchmaker, or on online dating sites or apps, there has to be an element of attraction between each partner for it to become romantic.
Often referred to as the honeymoon phase, this is the stage where everything feels very new and exciting and seems almost perfect.
This stage often lasts the first few months of their courtship and will see constant communication between the couple with many messages back and forth on different channels such as text messages, dating sites, social media and WhatsApp as well as long phone calls and video calls.
In the evenings on days when you are not together. You will also find that during this period you will be dating a lot and making time to get to know each other better before deciding whether to take things to the next level.
2. Reality
Stage two is the reality, and it tends to come on slowly and can last around six months. This signals the end of the honeymoon phase and is the point where you might start to see flaws in your partner and notice things that bother you.
This does not mean that they no longer like or love each other; it's just reality and life, and you tend to be more aware of your partner after the rush of hormones has subsided.
For example, you may find that as you spend more time together, you notice little quirks or habits that you may not have noticed at first.
Unfortunately, it is in this second stage that many relationships fail. But the good news is that if it gets through this stage, it's a good sign of things to come.
3. Commitment
Once you get past the reality stage, you enter the commitment phase. At this point, they express a desire to be together exclusively and have grown to not only recognize but also accept the flaws that can come with their partner.
This agreement to commit to one another regardless of the circumstances also means accepting your dreams, goals, wants, and needs in life.
This could mean things like deciding where you want to live together, helping you achieve career goals, and discussing plans for the future.
4. Privacy
Stage four is intimacy and this usually involves nurturing true love that has been cultivated over the last year or so. Contrary to popular belief, this stage isn't just about physical intimacy, it's also about connecting beyond the surface.
Once two people have come together, that's when true love really begins. This stage usually means opening up to each other and really letting your guard down.
For the first time in the relationship, they will become vulnerable without holding back, learning about each other's past and deepest feelings and seeing their true character in a new light.
5. Commitment
The final stage is commitment and blissful love. This is where you finally decide to make a lifelong commitment to your partner and take things to the next level.
This level of commitment comes with working together to plan a happy and fruitful future together.
Even though you've made a commitment, that doesn't mean your relationship won't have its ups and downs in the future.
The important thing is to learn to apologize and forgive when things go wrong and instead work together as a strong partnership to overcome whatever challenges life throws your way.
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