4 Sneaky Signs Your Relationship Is Totally Blissful—And No, It’s Not Just Sending You Good Vibes From Mars!
Added on July 26, 2025 inASTROLOGY CARDS
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So, the ring’s on Instagram, the vows are uttered, doves take flight, and the dress—well, it’s been tucked away like a museum relic. Now what? If you’re picturing that fairy-tale “happily ever after” just staking its claim, hold up—let’s get real. Marriage ain’t some celestial sitcom where love magically solves all the problems between commercials. In fact, it can be downright tough, like Mercury in retrograde messing with your Wi-Fi tough. But here’s the kicker: couples who actually keep that spark alive after the honeymoon haze usually share four solid habits that scream, “We’re in this for the long haul.” Curious if your relationship is riding high on these underrated yet mighty love rituals? Dive into these gems and see why keeping love authentic and thriving isn’t just wishful thinking but a doable art form. LEARN MORE.
After the engagement ring is posted on Instagram, the vows are said, the doves are released, and the dress is put in dry storage, comes the reality of married life.
As much as we would like to believe it’s all happily ever after, it often isn’t. It can be tough. But couples who maintain true happiness in their relationships, after the honeymoon period is over, tend to exhibit four habits that suggest that there’s a deep, lating bond between the two of them.
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One of the most problematic aspects of married life is when communication seems to stop. Sure, there is logistical stuff to discuss.
What time are you going to be home for dinner, where the kids’ soccer games are this weekend, and what time is brunch with the in-laws on Sunday? But emotionally intimate communication — expressing your feelings, frustrations, hopes, dreams, and longings to one another — too often ceases.
Marriage is a 24/7 commitment. Over long hours, days, and years together, challenging issues arise. If feelings are left unsaid rather than addressed immediately, damaging resentment builds up.
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It seems too scary to talk and easier not to say anything and silently hover over the dishes or spend longer hours at the office, anything to avoid difficult conversations. If you only take one thing away from this article, know you must keep communicating. Your marriage and life will be better in all ways if you do.
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Newlyweds may laugh now at the prospect of no longer wanting to be intimate with their partner. “That won’t be us,” you may say. But it very well could be.
We know anger and resentment build when feelings go unexpressed. For men and women alike, there’s no better libido killer than anger and resentment, and ironically enough, there’s no better way to create anger and resentment than a lack of intimacy.
Emotional and physical intimacy are both necessary for maintaining closeness in a marriage. Touching, kissing, and feeling loved are all a big part of this.
A marriage without intimacy is simply a business arrangement, so push past the anger and resentment and get it on with your partner. Or, better yet, prevent anger and resentment from arising in the first place by maintaining deep communication and happily being intimate (pretty much) every night. You’ll both be happy you did, in the moment and the long run.
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Research suggests that couples who are genuinely happy prioritize maintaining intimacy, both physical and emotional, and actively work to nurture their relationship. This involves spending quality time together, communicating openly and honestly, and being physically and emotionally available to each other.
There is a saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt”. The idea behind this expression is “the longer one knows someone, the more likely they will discover negative things about the other person.”
Over time, you get to know how your partner looks when flossing their teeth, they leave their pants hanging on the door, the way they slurp their coffee, or they fart in bed. At first, these things seem cute, but as time goes by, they irritate you. They might even repel you.
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As psychotherapist Mel Schwartz, LCSW, explains, “When we honor one another, we’re not likely to experience contempt, which is the emotional reaction to not feeling cared for and perhaps disrespected.
When we feel valued by our partners, our relationships are inclined to thrive. At the least, this feeling of being valued tends to limit hostility and scorn. When we devalue our partners, contempt becomes very prevalent.”
Mutual respect is crucial to any successful marriage. Your partner’s mannerisms or ways of doing things might not match with your own, which can lead to developing a dislike of who they are. And if you don’t like someone, it can be hard to respect them.
Tell your partner if something they do makes it difficult for you to be with them. Don’t just write them off as a lost cause, thinking, “If they loved me, they would do this differently.”
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We are all human beings trying to do the best we can. If you are honest with yourself, you know they aren’t doing any of those things to spite you. They just do them. They may change these behaviors if asked kindly and with respect. Showing your partner respect allows them to keep respecting you in return. (And intimacy is way better when you respect your partner, in case you didn’t know.)
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No matter how old you are when you get married, you’ll have spent many years building habits and participating in specific traditions with your extended family. The holidays are spent just so. Toilet paper rolled so it hangs under vs. over. Sarcasm and in-jokes are shared at every family get-together.
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Extended family is a wonderful and vital part of who you are, but when you get married, your priority should be placed on the new family you are creating with your partner. Of course, it’s important to respect each other’s family traditions, but if doing so comes at the expense of your relationship, the issues causing a problem must be addressed.
If the birthday tradition on one side has the whole family gathered and lots of gifts exchanged, while the birthday tradition on the other involves quietly celebrating with friends, then a conversation must be had. Both sides of the family should be told, respectfully, that while all family traditions are important, your new family needs freedom to create their traditions. Compromises might need to be reached, but it’s important for both partners to feel like their new life as a couple is their own.
Boundaries serve as a framework that allows each individual to maintain their sense of self and individuality within the relationship, while also fostering mutual respect and open communication. Research argues that clear boundaries prevent partners from feeling taken advantage of, leading to fewer conflicts and less resentment.
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Mitzi Bockmann is a NYC-based Certified Life Coach who works with individuals who strive to heal their toxic relationships so they can have their happily ever after. Mitzi’s bylines have appeared in The Good Men Project, MSN, PopSugar, Prevention, Huffington Post, Psych Central, among many others.
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