Heartbreak

5 Things We All Do That Slowly Destroy Relationships

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unhappy couple

Once the butterflies in your stomach start to fade, you're entering a new phase in your relationship where you're both comfortable being yourselves.

If you aren't careful, you could get too comfortable and start to lose sight of why you're in a relationship, to begin with.

It doesn't always have to be a huge blowout that ends things; sometimes it's a bunch of bad habits that wouldn't be a big deal on their own, but take their toll on relationships before you even realize it.

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Here are 5 things we all do that slowly destroy relationships:

1. Neglect one another

Relationships are living, vibrant things that require attention and nurturing every day.

Think of your relationship as a garden: if you only maintain it when you feel like it, you will very quickly have a dead garden. You have to weed and water and fertilize regularly, sometimes daily. You have to work to maintain it. Your relationship is no different.

2. Hold grudges

Forgiveness is important not only in a relationship but in all parts of life. People make mistakes.

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If you can't let things go even after they apologize and plenty of time has gone by, you're going to have a hard time ever being happy.

If you do tell your partner you forgive him/her, mean it! Don't keep bringing up the past.

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3. Always needing to be right

Nobody is right 100% of the time. Being able to say you're sorry requires you to be able to admit when you did something wrong.

If you can't do that, you're essentially saying you're always right and your partner is always wrong, which is just never the case.

It's not a competition, so losing a couple of battles along the way isn't the end of the world.

4. Not making quality time for each other

We're talking about quality, not quantity. The number of hours you spend in each other's presence is a lot less important than what you do while you're together.

Good relationships take work. Whether it's a date night, taking a walk together, or just talking about your day over a glass of wine, make the effort to spend quality time together.

5. Trying to change your partner

I've never understood this one. You fell in love with your partner the way they are, so why would you try to change them? If you can't seem to accept your partner how they are, flaws and all, then maybe your partner isn't the right person for you.

People do change sometimes, but it has to be because they want to, not because you forced them into it.

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Higher Perspective seeks to bring together like-minded individuals focused on personal growth and expanding their consciousness.

This article was originally published at Higher Perspectives. Reprinted with permission from the author.