5 SIGNS YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS ENDING

Once the honeymoon period is over most relationships fall into a comfortable pattern that might be short on the fireworks of the first year, but provides a stability and intimacy that feels great.

However, if that comfortable groove has started to feel more like an apathetic rut it might be time to take a long, hard look at your relationship and see if it's likely to stand the test of time. Here are five ways to tell if your relationship is on the rocks…

1. You don't communicate

If you come home from work, stick the telly on and don't speak to each other beyond the occasional "Pass the crisps", you're in trouble. Communication is the key to every relationship and without it minor issues can flare up into fights and you'll both end up feeling unloved and indifferent. If you don't want to talk to each other about how your day was or chat and laugh together anymore, it's a clear sign that you're losing interest.

2. You rarely have sex

Once the initial excitement of a new relationship has worn off you will naturally have a bit less sex, but a strong desire for your partner and regular sex make for a healthy, functioning relationship. It may just be that your sex life has got a little bit routine and injecting some zest with a little bit of experimentation will put things back on an even keel, but if you still aren't feeling it, it's probably time to wave goodbye.

3. You imagine life without your partner

If you find yourself constantly having daydreams that fail to feature your partner it's time to ask yourself some questions. You might long for a home free of their clutter and chat, or fantasise about a date with that hot new colleague, or wish you could just take a holiday alone: whatever it is, you've started to emotionally detach.

4. You pick fights

If you find your partner irritating and can't resist constantly picking them up on their habits then the writing is on the wall. Relationships require empathy, compassion and compromise to keep going, so if you've jacked all that in in favour of snapping and bickering it's time to get out of there.

5. You forget about the little things

Whilst big gestures are thrilling and romantic they don't help maintain a relationship on a day-to-day level. A recent study funded by the Economic Science and Research Council found that the simple things – such as bringing your partner a cup of tea in bed – nurture a relationship much more than grand romantic gestures. If you've forgotten about those little things and rarely think to do anything for your partner, from offering them a cuppa to giving them a cuddle, then it's time to forget about the whole thing and move on.

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