When you first start dating someone you’re on your best behaviour and so is he. It seems like you’re floating on that new couple cloud where everything is perfect and there’s nothing he could do to make you like him any less. But as we all know, that feeling will eventually fade as you settle into the routine of a serious relationship. That doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t still blissfully happy together, it just means reality has set in a little bit. The end of the honeymoon stage can actually be a good thing— it means you’re in it for the long haul, and you’re ready to deal with all the downs that come along with the ups.
- Little things start to annoy you. During the honeymoon stage you probably thought all his little quirks were adorable, but as time goes by, you’re decidedly less charmed by his tendency to tell the same joke to death. And believe me, he’s noticed a couple things about you that aren’t as cute as they used to be too.
- You aren’t afraid to nag once in awhile. A brand new relationship is a no-nag zone. But once you’re comfortable with each other, you’ll probably start “gently reminding” him to pick up more laundry detergent, or asking him whether that one friend from college he still hangs out with is “really the best influence”.
- You no longer care about looking your best 24/7. In the beginning you never would have wanted him to see you in your rattiest sweatpants eating marshmallow Fluff straight out of the jar. But at this point, he knows and has accepted your questionable grooming habits, and you’ve done the same for his.
- You don’t need to spend all your free time together. In fact, you like having an evening completely to yourself on a regular basis. Thinking about him doesn’t give you those longing butterflies anymore, but that doesn’t mean you don’t still have a great time when you are with him. It’s just more about quality time than quantity now.
- You don’t pretend you sleep well with him spooning you anymore. For some reason, couples feel the need to sleep in the same bed. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again— sleeping alone is the best. Now that the honeymoon stage is over, there’s no reason why you should have a terrible sleep because you think you’re supposed to be touching each other at all times. He’ll still be your boyfriend when you wake up, so feel free to enjoy having the entire bed to yourself again.
- You’re confident in your relationship status. The initial obsessed with each other phase can also be unstable because you never know if it might suddenly end for whatever reason. After you’ve gotten past that and you realize you both still want to be together, you’ll worry less about him taking a couple hours to text you back, or if you don’t spend every night together. You’re solid now, and that’s a great feeling.
- You don’t pretend to like things you don’t like anymore. When you first met you might have exaggerated how much you like playing video games, just a little bit. Now that you’ve gotten to know each other better, you feel a lot more comfortable being yourself, even if that means there are some hobbies you don’t share with each other (because that’s actually a good thing).
- You aren’t embarrassed by bodily functions. I’ve always said I could never seriously date a guy I couldn’t fart in front of without dying of embarrassment. Everyone farts, and that’s not even the worst of the gross things the human body is capable of. Once you can let one rip without shame, it’s safe to say you’re out of the honeymoon stage where you want him to think you’re a lady who doesn’t do anything gross.
- You have comfortable routines. You no longer feel the need to plan exciting, unique dates every time you hang out with each other. You’re both perfectly happy ordering a pizza and watching a movie on a Friday night. You probably have a few dorky rituals too, and you wouldn’t give them up for anything.
- Arguments happen every once in awhile. When you first start dating there probably isn’t much to fight about, and even if there was, you’re trying hard at that point to keep things light. Now, if you’re pissed, he’s going to hear about it. But luckily you care about each other enough to not let little fights snowball into huge blowouts.
