Do you feel like you and your partner are spending too much time together? Do you feel like you depend on him/her too much? Do you want more time to do your own thing?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, DO NOT freak out. It is totally normal that you and your S.O. are relying on one another more, spending a lot of time together, and feeling like you are afraid to do more things on your own.
Now, this does not mean anything is wrong with your relationship. This dependability that you place on your S.O. happens naturally in every relationship and you might not have even realized it until you started reading. So, maybe it is time for you to put your foot down, empower yourself to be more independent, start engaging in the things you love again and be a part of a happier and healthier relationship.
Photo: Bustle
The first step to being an empowered and independent person in a committed relationship is expressing your feelings to your S.O. about your time together. If you feel that you two are bickering more often, don’t have enough alone time, or don’t feel confident enough to do practical things on your own anymore, SPEAK UP!
Secondly, coming up with a solution is no doubt the next step. For some couples, this may be a smoother transition than others, but don’t put too much pressure on yourselves to make it perfect the first time. It took me and my partner several tries to finally find a balance because we just kept falling into the pattern of our old habits.
We found, that with our class schedules, we picked two days out of the five-day week, to be apart during the day and see one another at night. Now, our circumstances are much different considering we live in the same dorm hall, two floors apart.
This “schedule” in a sense is not like living by a rule book, but we noticed that after a week or so of abiding by these specific choices, our time together and apart started to naturally balance out. Now, we just spend time together when it works for both of us. We have found our natural balance by first choosing to follow a structured pattern.
Photo: The Origami Life
It is so important for both of you to be individuals before you are a unit. You both should have hobbies and interests of your own, but also similar interests, so you can see and achieve healthy personal growth. Yes, sometimes you may need to put your foot down and ask for a night in alone and that is okay.
You are special and unique, don’t let your relationship hold back your potential to excel.
Photo: Bustle