Discover the 4 stages of marriage you need to be aware of

Whether you have had an arranged match or one where you gradually fell in love and dated before tying the knot; marriage can be a whole new ball game. Falling in love within a marriage often sees you allowing someone else to be the reason for your happiness. While this may make you feel mushy and giddy, it is not always a bed of roses. So, take a look at the four stages of marriage that your love will task you to sail through with your spouse.

The initial honeymoon period

This is the first stage where you are new to marriage and are usually exceptionally kind to each other. You are infatuated by each other at this stage and there will be lots of passion in your relationship. The initial feelings of attraction would ideally be replaced with a lasting love at the end of this phase.

The power struggle

This is a relatively tougher stage to endure, as this is when the exciting part of the wedding and your honeymoon is over. You must tackle the mundane and work to make a living. As your days would be filled by work and household chores, romance would be on the back-burner. You may find that your mate is less willing to do things your way all the time because you are no longer dating. Compromise is key at this stage and many couples experience a power struggle to discern who is really in charge or makes a majority of the big decisions in the relationship.

Taking your spouse off the pedestal

The third phase is when the realities of marriage really hit you. You become better acquainted with the routine habits of your spouse and discover that some of them annoy you. No longer shall they pretend to be extra courteous toward you as they are used to living with you and there is no falsehood in this stage of marriage. You learn their strengths, shortcoming and take them of the pedestal you had initially put them on when you assumed they are perfect in every way. In a good marriage, you would grow to love and accept these flaws.

Ultimately you move on to co-creation

This is the best phase as you are settled with your mate and begin to build a life together in sync with each other. It can mean anything from helping your partner build their career, or having a baby or going back to college to study further and realise your dreams together.

Kudos to couples who have reached the co-creation stage as it is where your marriage truly flourishes as you undertake mutually beneficial joint projects together!

Also Read: Lessons of heartbreak that your first love teaches you