Everyone who’s ever been in a serious relationship knows that it takes effort, hard work, and even compromise. After the ‘honeymoon phase’ is over, reality kicks in and you get to see if the person standing next to you is the right one.
However, these signs can be hard to identify, especially for those who haven’t been in a serious relationship before. Do you have common interests? Do you share the same core values? How much you need to sacrifice to be with that person? Do you argue quite a lot?
Read on to discover the 9 signs that indicate you’re dating the right person, according to relationship experts!
Make sure to also check the 8 Little Signs That Your Partner Loves You Big Time.
They make you feel good about yourself
According to dating coach James Preece, the person that deserves your love is the one that will encourage you to be your most confident self. They will tell you regularly how beautiful and intelligent you are, they’ll pay compliments and make sure you don’t forget your value.
If your partner is not your biggest fan, and they’re constantly questioning your thoughts and appearance, then they’re definitely not the right person for you and you shouldn’t waste any more time in that relationship.
The person who loves you sincerely would want you to be happy and not doubt your potential. According to Preece, “If you start to believe it too then you are never going to need to question anything or doubt yourself.”
Make sure to also read about the 10 Signs You Can Totally Trust Your Partner.
You share the same core values
You don’t need to think exactly the same, but it’s important to have similar interests and core values if you’re looking for something serious. However, if you have different interests, it helps to talk about them.
According to Preece, if you’re looking for a serious, long-term relationship with someone, you need to make sure you want the same things and work towards the same goal, because otherwise, you’re just wasting your time.
After all, you’re both on the same team, so it’s vital to be on the same page. Therefore, the things that are important to you should also matter to your partner. Whether is where you want to live, your views on children, or simply your lifestyle, it would be ideal if your partner shared the same values.
You can meet in the middle
According to Kate Moyle, relationship psychotherapist and host of The Sexual Wellness Sessions podcast, you can’t have a successful relationship without a little compromise, or a lot, actually.
“It’s always going to be a tussle between the individual needs of those involved, and we shouldn’t expect to be perfectly aligned or agreed on everything,” she said.
However, a good indicator that your relationship is on the right path is the way you choose to compromise and negotiate with your partner. If you’re the only one that’s making compromises in the relationship, it’s not going to last because everyone has its limits.
If you’ve found a way to meet in the middle even when you’re not on the same page, chances are you two are great for each other.
Find out which are the 15 Life Lessons You Need to Learn Sooner or Later.
You’ve got all their attention
One of the worst feelings in the world is when you’re talking to someone and they seem to not care, either they’re scrolling through Facebook or pay attention to other things. According to Moyle, the right one won’t do that.
When you’re with the right person, they offer you their undivided attention and they are completely present in your company. Nowadays it very easy to get distracted by all the technology and devices, but if you truly care for someone, you give them your attention. Instagram can wait.
They will really listen to you
The one that’s right for you will listen to you because they’ll want to understand, not just to respond. No matter how boring the story is, a good partner will listen attentively to what you have to say because they care.
The right person should listen to you when you talk about work-related stuff when you complain about a colleague or vent about your best friend’s relationship drama. They will make you feel heard even when you’re talking about the most boring stuff.
“The ability to hear each other, and to give the other space to feel heard, even if the content of the discussion isn’t of interest to us as an individual, shows that person that they are worthy of our time and attention,” Moyle said.
Read on to discover the 15 Unmistakable Signs You’re Falling In Love.
They do small gestures for you
People tend to overlook the small gestures, even though they’re very important. Not every gesture needs to be romantic in order to be gracious. According to Moyle, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to make your partner feel special.
The simple cup of coffee you make every morning, the sweet ‘good night’ text you send every night before bed, the unexpected ‘I love you’, a kiss on the forehead, these are the things that matter the most. If your partner does these gestures for you, they’re a keeper.
Read more about the 30 Fascinating Facts About Love.
Even when you disagree, the discussion is still ‘healthy’
Even happy couples have disagreements, but it’s very important how they handle those arguments. Fighting is normal and it’s not necessarily a bad thing, after all, you can’t agree on everything all the time. According to Moyle, how you handle those fights says a lot about the longevity of the relationship.
Also, not every discussion you have with your partner needs to be an argument. You can tell your relationship is on the right path when you can openly discuss things and express different opinions without causing huge fights and relationship breakdown.
According to Moyle, you need to learn to talk about certain things even though you’re not on the same page. It’s not even about who’s right and who’s wrong, it should be about learning to validate each other’s perspective.
Make sure to also check 10 Random Acts of Kindness That Can Change One ‘s Life.
You can speak your mind
As Preece likes to say, the right person won’t judge you. You shouldn’t have to think twice before speaking with your partner or fear the fact that they’ll judge you. You should feel free to be yourself because when you’re afraid to speak your mind, you’re not talking to the right person.
It’s actually healthier to speak when something is on your mind, rather than bottling up and end up frustrated. You know for sure someone is good for you when they listen to what you have to say without any judgment.
Your entire family loves them
When your entire family loves the person you’re dating, you know your relationship is on the right path. According to Preece, it’s a good sign when the people around you love your significant other, because they can probably judge their character better from the exterior than you can. After all, love can be blind sometimes, that why it’s important to have close friends and family to tell you when you’re wrong.
Also, if they’re suspicious at first, it’s normal because they’re being protective. But when they become your partner’s biggest fan, you know you’ve made a good decision.
Now that we’ve talked about the ‘good signs’ you need to take a look at the ‘bad signs’ that indicate it’s not going to last. How You Can Tell If Your Partner Is Going to Break Your Heart.