5 Things Most Couples Do That Can Slowly Ruin Their Relationships

Once the butterflies in your stomach start to fade, everyone enters a new phase in their relationship where you're both comfortable being yourselves. If you aren't careful, you could slowly ruin your relationship by doing things like getting too comfortable and losing sight of why you're in a relationship with this person 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.

couple slowly ruining their relationship Mladen Mitrinovic / Shutterstock

Here are 5 unconscious habits most couples fall into that slowly ruin relationships:

1. Neglecting one another

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

Think of your relationship as a garden: if you neglect it and 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. Holding grudges

Forgiveness is important not only in a relationship but in all parts of life. People make mistakes. 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 them, mean it! Don't keep bringing up the past.

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.

@justaskjefferson you think you’re so smart dont you. #alwaysright #communicationskills #argument ♬ original sound - Jefferson Fisher

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.

happy couple having pizza together ORION PRODUCTION / Shutterstock

5. Trying to change each other

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.