Things That Change When You Enter A Relationship

When you’re single, you can afford to be quite selfish with your life decisions. But being in a relationship changes the way you think, you tend to begin to factor in your partner’s life and expectations. You might have to adjust a few things but if the relationship is worth it, you’ll be happy to make a few tweaks in your personal life.

Your relationship status

As obvious as it may sound, it is really important to be aware that to an extent, your new relationship status will affect your other relationships. Whether it is relationships with exes or friends, your new status means you can no longer be carefree about your dealings with people (opposite sex). You have to be even more intentional about every relationship in your life.

How you spend your time

This goes back to the first point because you need to be intentional about where and how you spend your time. While you probably had friends before you got into a relationship, you might need to prioritise and make sure you’re not giving too little or too much time. It’s not just about how much time you spend with your partner; it’s about factoring all your relationships appropriately. You also have to understand that time is no longer entirely your own. While you are still entitled to your privacy, and your time for personal leisure, you have to understand that when you get into a relationship with someone, you are also choosing to give up a huge bulk of your time.

Expectations

There are different phases in every relationship; expectations always change the deeper you go into a relationship. Before you enter one, you either have very elaborate or very vague expectations of the relationship. In reality, it’s rare that your pre-relationship expectations will ever be met. The deeper you go into the relationship, the more you will come to understand your personality and character as a couple. As the relationship grows, you start changing your expectations to fit your probable narrative as a couple. Expectations are inevitable, and they’re good. But communication is absolutely important, especially when it comes to expectations. Conflict evolves when expectations are not discussed and grace is not shown.

How you spend your money

Your spending habits are not going to be the same. Unless you’re ready to splurge, you will have to start budgeting for dates, gifts, and maybe even utilities if you ever decide to start living together. You really can’t just go out and buy new phones or clothes whenever you want. Essentially, you’re planning for two, so you can’t be selfish anymore. Budgeting is vital, but its importance is more apparent when your money is also being fed into your relationship.

Your association

Whether you like it or not entering a relationship links you with other people. While this does not change your worth, identity, or values, you might have to accommodate and accept new people in your life. As you become associated with your significant other, chances are that you will be more likely to integrate yourself within your partner’s circle of family and friends. You’re just going to have to make room for more people in your life. This can either be a good thing or a bad thing; it really all depends on the type of person you are.