7 Things You Might Be Doing To Sabotage Your Relationship

We all enter relationships with the best intentions. We want to make them work, and always hope that they might be "the one". Even with these great intentions, and the best attitude, it can be difficult to make relationships last. That's because (as we all know) relationships really are hard work. Once the honeymoon phase over, how do you keep the spark alive and make it last for the long run. Below are several common relationship mistakes that you might be making already. Take a look and ask yourself if you might be unintentionally sabotaging your relationship without even knowing it. Here are 7 things you might be doing to sabotage your relationship.

1- Unsolicited Advice
Let's face it, no one likes being told what to do. Unsolicited advice is offering advice that no one asked for. You may have good intentions, but it can be very annoying. In the long run it can be a very destructive habit to get into. An example of unsolicited advice could be, "I hate that shirt that you're wearing" or perhaps, "You look terrible in green". Both seemingly innocent comments, but consider how this probably sounds to the other person. What if they love that shirt or green is their favorite color. This can really drive a wedge into any relationship. Fortunately, there is an easy way to avoid this relationship pitfall. When in doubt, error on the side of caution, and try to be considerate of the other person.

2- You Give But Don't Get
Are you in a one-sided relationship? Do you feel like you're putting in all the work and they are just taking it all for granted? Many times women, (seemingly more than mane), find themselves in this relationship situation with their man. Keeping a relationship alive requires a lot of work and should be a two-way street. It's unhealthy for you to always be giving but never getting. If the other person is self-absorbed, they may not be willing to change this bad habit.

3- You Over-Communicate
Your partner is supposed to be your best friend and support you through thick and thin. But that doesn't mean that you have to tell them everything you're thinking all the time. Men and women have different communication styles and men typically have less of a need to vocalize and talk about things than men do. So it's a good idea to not overwhelm them with a blitzkrieg of communication.

4- You Don't Make Time for Yourself or Other Friendships
Sure you love your spouse/significant other, but you still need to make room for other friendships in your life. A big mistake that many couples make is dropping their friends as soon as you start dating. This is not a good idea. After all, even if this relationship doesn't work out, it's your friends who will be there for you in the end. Plus, even in the best relationships, it's only healthy to have a little break from each other from time to time. Friendships are a big part of life, so make sure you don't miss out on them.

5- Smothering
Everyone needs varying amounts of personal space, alone time and privacy. Obviously when you're married or in a serious relationship you're going to want to share everything. However, it's still a good idea to respect the other person's boundaries and give them some room to breath. Let's say your boyfriend or girlfriend wants to go out with some friends one night. Rather than running through a laundry list of questions (perhaps even well-intentioned ones), try wishing them and good time and offer to let them use your car. If this hasn't been par for the course in your relationship, they'll find it a breath of fresh air. It doesn't mean that you don't care, just that you're giving them a little space.

6- You Air All Your Frustrations to Your Friends
Your friends don't need to hear about all the problems you have with your relationship. To some degree, it is healthy to talk with them about problems you may be having, but it's not healthy to constantly dump on your spouse/significant other to your friends. If all they ever hear about are the flaws in your partner, they'll start to wonder why you're even with them.

7- Constant Criticism or Being Overly Critical
There is an old saying that familiarity breeds contempt. That basically means that after you've been with someone for a while you start to see the person's flaws more and more. It can be easy to just focus on the things that you wish they'd change or need to improve on. But be careful. In the end, this type of outlook and overly critical attitude will cause big problems for your relationship. It's much better to focuses on the things you like about your special someone, rather than obsess over their shortcomings. After all, you can't change other people, but you can change yourself.