Here are some clear signs you're falling out of love, according to experts: You're less interested in spending time with them. You feel more comfortable apart than you feel together. You're thinking about them less and less.
Is it possible to stay in love for the long-haul or fall back in love after falling out of it? You may be surprised that the overwhelming answer for many in the scientific community is YES. Real, lasting love is possible.
Five common experiences of people falling out of love
They might make excuses to avoid intimacy until eventually, neither party is initiating contact. A decline in affectionate touch over the course of the day may also describe people's experiences during falling out of love. Loss of trust.
The passionate months and years of first love don't always stick around. Relationships change and evolve over time and that's perfectly normal. But sometimes couples fall out of love too.
Communication issues and unrealistic expectations are two of the main reasons people find themselves falling out of love. But there are things that can be done to stop the fall. Relationships are hard work; they should be viewed as investments, particularly if there is a marriage.
Love is both a matter of choice and a strong feeling. While feelings can change over time, love is more stable. Even if you don't feel the same way you felt about someone at the beginning of a relationship, you can choose to stay with them even in the more difficult or boring times.
With a comfortable love, you'll feel safety and trust no matter what. If you're in a relationship for the sake of comfort, you'll feel uncomfortable whenever you're not with them, out of lack of trust in them or the relationship. Realize what love feels like, and don't mistake it for anything else.
Falling out of love is difficult because, more often than not, there's resistance on our part. We don't want to accept reality but there's nothing that can keep the pain away from us when we do. We no longer can turn our suffering into magic.
It can take the same amount of time to fall out of love as it does to go through one or more seasons in a year. Each individual is different, so it can take anywhere from 3-12 months to fall out of love.”
If you're unsure if you're falling out of love, ask yourself how you feel about your future as a couple. If you feel unhappy, trapped, or scared at the idea of being with your partner for the long haul, it's time to have a conversation with them.
You might find yourself wondering if you can lose feelings for someone you love? You might wonder if you actually loved them in the first place. It's totally normal to have times when you feel more or less in love with your partner.
A sudden change in feelings doesn't necessarily mean your relationship is over, but this could be a good time to reflect on if this relationship is actually working for you. Although talking to your partner can help, McCullough said you should also be prepared to potentially end your relationship.
You might feel guilty about falling out of love with a person who you used to believe was “the one”, scared you won't find any other good fit for you out there, or you might severely hurt your partner. But, guilt is the last thing you should feel, and, at the end of the day, those fears are irrational.
Stressed-out people cannot maintain those gifts. They forget how to love or allow love to penetrate their preoccupied and pressured world. That disconnect from their own inner experiences transfers into becoming separate from the one they love.
Things You Should Know
If you notice yourself taking more risks, planning for a more hopeful future, or taking steps to better yourself, odds are you're falling in love. When you fall in love, your body releases hormones like dopamine that may make you feel excited, euphoric, and/or anxious.
Know the typical signs of a serious attraction.
In general, when you really like another person, you seem to think about them all the time, even when you're not with them. You can't wait to learn all about them. You're excited to introduce them to your friends.
True love is a selfless feeling where you love each other unconditionally without any limitations. There is support and understanding without expecting anything in return. To find true love, you need to love yourself first, so it helps in understanding others.
Unlike the honeymoon phase when enthusiasm is heightened, falling out of love is often marked by a sense of apathy or ambivalence. Hartman calls this “relationship fatigue”—a.k.a., when you feel drained and have less motivation to keep the connection going.
In fact, researchers found that men thought about confessing love six weeks earlier, on average, than women. The general consensus among studies on love is that men fall in love faster than women.
According to Simone Collins, who co-authored the bestselling book The Pragmatist's Guide to Relationships with her husband, falling out of love is just as natural as falling into it. It is no one's fault. Love may disappear slowly over time or suddenly after a traumatic event.
Sometimes it's not your fault — sometimes it's just how time passes or how people change. Sometimes it may be down to something you do, distancing yourself, or hurting the other person, which leads them to zone out of the relationship.