When you first met your partner, everything was amazing. You got butterflies just being around each other and counted down the minutes before you could hang out again. But the longer you’re together, the less magic your relationship seems. Something seems different.
What went wrong?
If you feel like something is off in your relationship, don’t fret. Relationship conflicts are common in every relationship. But constant conflict can lead to stress, anxiety, unhappiness, and eventually – a breakup. Whether it’s sexual in nature or its communication based, there is nothing positive about having conflict in your relationship.
Don’t let relationship conflict ruin your perfect match! Stop a breakup in its tracks by learning the top 10 causes of conflict in romance.
1.Sexual Dysfunctions
Sex is an important part of a healthy relationship and research confirms that physical affection is strongly related to partner satisfaction. When sex is lacking in your relationship, there is trouble ahead.
Sex has many positive emotional benefits, so it’s no surprise that an inactive sex life can create emotional and physical distance between partners.
2.Interference of Family and Friends
Studies show that couples are happier when they are sharing friends. Yet, one great source of relationship conflict comes from the over-involvement of friends and family.
Jealousy, favoring friendships over spending quality time with a spouse and family members who have opinions about your relationship are all common causes of relationship conflict.
It can also make it difficult to have a happy, healthy relationship if one of your friends dislikes your spouse or vice versa.
3.Not Enough Romance
Romance is something that is commonly associated with the beginning stages of a relationship. This is the stage where surprise flowers, gifts, and thoughtful gestures are common. Not having enough romance in a relationship may sound like a small complaint, but this can easily make one partner feel unloved, insecure, and frustrated.
4.Parenting Differences
- For couples who already have children together, the subject of parenting can bring up a host of issues.
- How to handle bullies – Be humble and mild or fight back?
- Religious beliefs – which religion do you raise your child to believe?
- Schooling – Homeschooled, public, or private? Is college important?
- Dietary restrictions- One of you are vegan, the other is not. What diet do you raise the child on?
- Having strong parental differences can cause some serious problems in your marriage. That is why it is so important to discuss what type of parents you want to be before you start trying for a child.
5.Financial Stress
Is there anything less sexy than financial problems? We think not.
Studies show that money is one of the biggest factors of unhappiness in married couples. Forms of financial stress may include:
- Not making enough money to cover the monthly budget
- Overspending
- Lying about finances
- Not sharing money
- One partner making significantly more money than the other
- Financial jealousy
- Refusal to contribute financially to the relationship
- One spouse thinks the other spouse is cheap
- Financially irresponsible
- Massive debts incurred
There is no doubt that when it comes to relationship conflicts, money takes the cake for causing stress and unhappiness between partners.
6.Inability to Problem Solve
Problem-solving is essential for a peaceful, respectful relationship. Couples must be able to listen to one another, communicate respectfully, and get to the root of their problems in order to live comfortably together. Without conflict resolution skills, you’ll be in for one frustrating relationship.
7.Lack of Communication
Couples who cannot communicate with one another are missing out on a great relationship. Communication is the lifeline of happy couples. Why? It’s the source of everything! It’s how couples get to know one another better and exchange information. Communicating is the way you share your goals and future plans as a couple.
It’s also how you show respect and resolve problems within the relationship.
Studies show that couples who can communicate about sex are happier and have higher levels of sexual satisfaction.
Research on why couples get divorced shows that money is a common problem in relationships. If you and your spouse can’t learn to talk to one another, you’re going to have a rocky road ahead.
8.Uncomfortable Behavior
One of the biggest factors in relationship conflict come from bad habits. If you or your spouse is prone to jealousy, controlling behavior, disrespectful comments, or are addicted to drugs or alcohol, the odds that you will have a troubled relationship will skyrocket.
9.Lack of Physical Touching
This may sound shallow, but the truth is that physical intimacy is the number one way that couples connect on a deeper level. Research shows that the oxytocin released during not only sex, but other forms of physical touching such as holding hands and cuddling is responsible for boosting trust between partners.
Studies also show that couples who have sex on a regular basis are more likely to verbalize their love for one another than couples who don’t make time to be intimate.
And here’s a bonus benefit that’s worth considering. Some research suggests that the cuddle hormone ‘oxytocin’ can actually make men faithful.
10.You’re Not Spending Quality Time Together
Quality time is essential for maintaining and strengthening a relationship. Those who don’t will feel an emotional disconnect that can be dangerous.
Research shows that couples who regularly spend quality time together have better communication than couples who don’t. The study goes on to show that sexual satisfaction, relationship excitement, and romantic love are also heightened after a date night.
These facts show how detrimental it can be to a relationship not to spend quality time together bonding.
Relationship conflict can be stressful to live with. If you’re dealing with problems in your love life, you’re not alone. Mixed expectations about your romance can create tension between partners. The inability to communicate, problem solve, and dealing with sexual differences can also cause conflict in your relationship.