Most relationships start of exciting, powerful and seemingly perfect. But with time, things start to change. If you aren’t aware of the warning signs in a relationship that are cause for concern, you can be in big trouble.
A lot of people are oblivious to these warning signs in a relationship. So, they carry on with life as normal until they find themselves dumped, betrayed or miserable.
By identifying these warning signs early on, you can make the adjustments and corrections needed to save your relationship.
Here’s a quick overview of all the worrying warning signs in a relationship.
- There’s a lack of communication.
- Your sex life is poor.
- Arguments have become more toxic.
- There is constant bickering.
- The quality of intimacy has suffered.
- Someone is spending too much time on their phone.
- There are no future plans.
- The relationship has become very predictable.
- You or your partner are always irritable and moody.
- You don’t confide in each other anymore.
Now let’s take a look at each of these warning signs in a relationship and discuss how they present themselves in real life situations.
1. There’s a lack of communication
Good communication is key to a healthy relationship but that doesn’t mean you have to be talking to each other 24/7.
Carving out some time from your day to catch up and talk to each other like best friends and lovers go a long way in maintaining an intellectual and emotional connection.
When communication starts to take a backseat in the relationship, that’s one of the warning signs in a relationship.
It’s not all doing and gloom. You just have to make an extra effort to rekindle a healthy flow of communication.
If not, poor communication has the habit of leading to distance, misunderstandings, loneliness and disconnect in a relationship.
When these things begin to happen one after the other, resentment and anger begin to infect and damage feelings of love and attraction.
Good communication requires you to be a good listener. Ask questions, pay attention to your partner and be supportive rather than judgmental.
These simple changes can make a world of a difference.
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2. Your sex life is poor
Even though sex isn’t the be-all and end-all of a relationship, it’s still a healthy component that deserves more attention.
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Sex is a natural form of intimacy. Within a relationship, it is the ultimate realization of desire, physical attraction and emotional connection in physical form.
Hence, the term ‘making love’ was coined.
During the early phases of a relationship, physical intimacy is easy to maintain. You’re in the honeymoon phase and that is intoxicating to everyone.
But, as the needle on the clock of life ticks away, so does the novelty of new things – even relationships.
At this point, it becomes imperative that a couple makes an effort to keep their sex life vibrant and alive.
Being lazy, unhygienic, rude and obnoxious, boring and selfish in bed will do nothing but tarnish desire.
If your sex life takes a knock, it’s only natural that partners become frustrated with each other.
This is arguably one of the most controversial warning signs in a relationship because many attributes it to be the start of the end.
3. Arguments have become more toxic
Another instrumental component of a healthy relationship is respect.
I have to touch on the positive elements of a relationship so that we can accurately contrast it to the type of behavior that isn’t conducive to a good relationship.
Arguments are unavoidable and at first, they can actually be viewed as a team-building experience that adds fuel to the fire of a relationship.
But when arguments become more prevalent in a relationship and they continue to escalate, it’s toxic.
Rather than strengthen communication and respect, it achieves the opposite.
When arguments start to take on a more aggressive, venomous, non-constructive verbal assault on each other, you have much to worry about because it is a surefire warning sign of a relationship that will fail.
It’s much better to take a time out from an argument to clear your head and calm down than to attack each other non-stop.
4. There is constant bickering
Bickering may not be as bad as toxic and heated arguments, they are, however, annoying and energy draining.
What you want is to enjoy being in the company of your partner. Bickering outs a wedge between couples.
Bickering has the habit of becoming a normal fixture in relationships because couples usually don’t consider it to be a deal-breaker.
It doesn’t really do any harmful damage to anyone’s self worth but it does prevent you from enjoying each other’s company.
Rather than have an open flow of communication without any drama, your relationship will become plagued with bickering that is often silly and childish.
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5. The quality of intimacy has suffered
Apart from your sex life, sharing yourself emotionally and intellectually is thoroughly important in any relationship.
But when you or your partner barely want to cuddle, be close to each other, touch, talk about feelings or share soul defining thoughts with each other, then it’s definitely one of the warning signs in a relationship.
This can be particularly frustrating to women who often desire a heart to heart with their partner or close contact.
Intimacy is nurtured through constant effort. You must be willing to let your guard down and be vulnerable with each other
6. Someone is spending too much time on their phone
I absolutely hate this because it is disrespectful, rude and unfair to the relationship.
Being on your phone is fine up until it starts to interfere with your real-life interaction with those who you love.
I cringe at the thought of talking to my partner and only getting half-hearted and robotic replies because she’s too transfixed by her phone.
Thankfully, this hasn’t happened to me with my partner but it has in the past and it sucks.
What’s the point of having a picture-perfect relationship online but you can no longer hold a conversation with your partner in person for more than 5 minutes?
That’s just some food for thought.
There’s also the problem of comparison. Someone who spends a ton of time on social networking apps is exposed to the Grass is Greener effect.
Since everyone is sharing unrealistic depictions of their lives and relationships, it sets an unrealistic standard for others.
Exposing yourself to that puts you at risk of adopting a ludicrous idea for what a relationship should be life.
This could hurt your relationship in so many ways.
Of course, some people can use it as a means of actually improving their relationship but you have to be fair and objective when deciding if that’s actually the case for you.
Lastly, a partner who is always on their phone and is secretive about it creates suspicion.
Once the seed of doubt is planted, it’s hard to uproot because the roots dig deep into the mind causing uncertainty, fear, doubt and anxiety in your partner.
I’m not saying it’s always the case but many people view this as a sign of a partner who is cheating or is on the cusp of it.
7. There are no future plans
All relationships that begin must have a future plan for it’s growth.
Whether it’s exclusivity, engagement, living closer to each other and marriage, there must be a plan.
Without future plans, it’s difficult to work together at building a life that makes you both happy and content.
Much like how it is essential for every individual on this planet to focus on self-development for growth and happiness, relationships require the same effort to thrive.
If someone in the relationship is avoiding future plans, it could be a warning sign in a relationship of commitment issues or uncertainty.
8. The relationship has become very predictable
Predictability is synonymous with boredom.
And the longer you’re with someone, the more susceptible you are to falling into a comfort zone.
I get it.
Comfort zones feel…comforting. There’s routine to it and very little uncertainty.
Unfortunately, comfort zones can become a death bed for relationships.
Love is fostered through experiences. Sharing the experiences of life creates and strengthens a connection and bond.
But when you’re doing nothing exciting or spontaneous, what new experiences can fuel the relationship?
Nothing really.
That’s when you have partners getting bored and craving some intense love in their life again.
Becoming resentful or dissatisfied with a relationship is the next logical progression in this situation.
Take it as a warning sign in a relationship and add some flavor to your life.
It’s not all that difficult to change things up and be more spontaneous.
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9. You or your partner are always irritable and moody
Irritability and moodiness are not exactly the greatest contributors to a healthy and loving interaction with your partner.
I get the need for being each other’s sounding board but when all you or your partner do is complain and fuss about things that are irritating, it quickly becomes old.
If anything, I like to think of a relationship as a sanctuary from those irritating and annoying things in life.
The problem with an irritated or moody partner who is this way all the time is that it could be a symptom of a bigger problem.
They could be suffering from depression or bipolar disorder.
It could be a symptom of dissatisfaction and unhappiness.
There’s really so many reasons or explanations for it but what’s important to note is the damaging effect of always being this way.
10. You don’t confide in each other anymore
Trust in a relationship is non-negotiable. You can’t be in a committed relationship without trust, it’s practically impossible.
A relationship is almost like a pact to love each other unconditionally.
Which, as an effect, allows you to confide in each other and open up about your feelings and deepest truths.
When that starts to diminish from a relationship and you or your partner turn into a stone-cold wall who is unwilling to share their life with you, it’s a problem.
It could be indicative of a declining state of the relationship, particularly in respect to trust.
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How to deal with relationship warning signs
Rather than panic, it is far more productive to analyze the situation for what it is, talk to your partner in a non-judgmental tone without blaming each other and draw up a plan of action.
You would be surprised by how quickly things can turn around if you work as a team rather than play the blame game or to adopt a victim mentality.
Working on your communication as a couple will play a huge factor in dealing with most of the warning signs in a relationship.
Good communication allows both of you to express your needs and desires in a way that can be constructive and easily understood.
Being heard and understood often opens the doors of connection and intimacy.
Once you’ve both expressed your issues and needs, it would be time to suggest ways you can fix these issues together.
Whether it means spending more time with each other, adding some excitement to the relationship or planning for the future, go for it.
Map it all out for each other and put in the work. It may not result in an overnight change but I’m more than certain you can make some progress.
Set aside all your problems for 90 days and be the most loving, caring, attentive and fun partner. Do this for 90 days without fail and by the end, either you will have the best relationship ever or you’ll be able to walk away from it without a single regret.
With that being said, I hope you enjoyed this article. Please feel free to elaborate on these warning signs in a relationship or leave a question and I’ll be sure to respond.