The 7 Stages of Marriage
It takes a lifetime to create a happy marriage. You might be able to develop a stronger and more satisfying relationship by being aware of the various phases of marriage and the phases you will experience as a pair. So here are the 7 stages of marriage.
1st Stages of Marriage – Passion
This is the honeymoon period, during which romance and strong attraction bind a couple and encourage commitment. In hindsight, it frequently appears to be as fleeting as spring; by two years, the majority of couples have typically lost their original allure, though this might vary from pair to couple. But when it actually happens, the stage of passion is incredibly intense and important. The two of you are being driven by a surge of feel-good brain chemicals that Mother Nature has created to abandon all others and take action to protect the species.
Even if you are married later in life or twice, nature provides these scrumptious bursts of neurotransmitters to strengthen your relationship. In the passion stage, couples begin to build the trust, respect, and emotional intimacy that will underpin their partnership forever. They also have fun and fall deeply in love.
2nd Stages of Marriage – Realization
The honeymoon period comes to an end at this point, and you start to have a more concrete vision of your future together. Your spouse’s humanity is revealed at this point, along with the fact that he doesn’t load the dishwasher or squat on the toilet. This difficult, inevitable phase, when the two of you begin to accept each other for who you truly are, is characterized by disappointment and the onset of fights.
The objective and difficulty? Nothing less than establishing the foundation for a long future spent together based on respect, acceptance, and willingness to change. You’ll need to introduce your innermost personal demands and wants while being assertive in your discussion and attentive in your listening. In the years to come, this lays the groundwork for being fully recognized, understood, and supported.
3rd Stages of Marriage – Rebellion
He misses his wonderful toys, while she misses his friends. He wants to play weekly softball; she wants to travel. He wants to further his profession, just as she does. Self-interest frequently triumphs over the interests of the marriage at some point, even for couples who successfully traverse the realization stage of marriage and establish the groundwork for a happy, respectful life together. And when that occurs, be prepared for battle.
It’s difficult to fall in love when the rebellious stage is rife with power battles. Since you both think you’re correct, your spouse must be mistaken. That indicates that you are both outraged by being called wrong and by being positioned as having the highest moral footing. Is this the right way to handle a marriage?
According to experts, the drama of the revolt stage cannot be avoided. The task at hand is to master the art of fighting the good fight; problem typically arises more from the nature of the conflicts than from the topics under discussion. Why? When rebellious thoughts are confronted with anger and frustration, they frequently result in rebellious deeds, such as adultery, extravagant spending, or accepting a job offer that comes with a sudden transfer to a different city. Any of these can lead to a marriage’s demise.
4th Stages of Marriage – Cooperation
Marriages undoubtedly get more challenging as time goes on. Children are born, residences get bigger, and personal commitments deepen. Marriage becomes more like a business at the partnership stage. Leave all that love, emotion, and self-realization stuff aside; there are mortgages to pay, investments to manage, jobs to direct, careers to manage, careers to manage, health to manage, and—most importantly—children to raise.
5th Stages of Marriage – Reunion
If you have kids, the cooperation stage often lasts 10 to 20 years before it abruptly ends. You have less obligations as a parent, a stable financial situation, a defined career, and a paid mortgage. Then what? For contented couples, it is a chance to rediscover how much they value one another, this time as lovers and friends rather than as parents and providers, thinkers and seekers. When this is accomplished, there is harmony, contentment, and tranquility.
All of that is excellent, but it can be challenging to realize this ideal. It is necessary to reignite the flames of desire, manage the disillusionment and distance that come with middle age, and reevaluate the duties and expectations of the marriage.
6th Stages of Marriage – Explosion
Major life events appear to occur one after another as you enter your golden years and go into midlife. These events can include losing your job, experiencing serious health issues, moving to a new place, experiencing financial difficulties, or losing a parent to illness or death. In the explosion phase, either you, your spouse, or both of you are dealing with significant, life-changing events that could have an immediate, long-lasting impact on your marriage. The Explosion stage can happen at any moment in a marriage, unlike the other six stages, which often occur in that order. However, it most frequently occurs as we reach our 40s and 50s.
Your marriage might be a source of comfort while you’re going through a personal crisis, or it can be put to the test by the unforeseen strain of new duties, new restrictions, and new concerns. The goal of the explosion stage is to manage changes and problems in life while also maintaining your happiness and health. Sharing daily delights with your spouse can help your marriage get through tough times, so long as you also occasionally practice the Zen-like art of putting tension and fear aside.
7th Stages of Marriage – Completion
It’s no accident that many surveys show that over many years of a shared life, marriage satisfaction increases. Simply put, experts believe it’s because the kids are grown and the couples are really familiar with one another. However, it goes beyond that. Tolerating one other’s habits, peculiarities, and wants is only one aspect of getting to know one another. “Knowing” one another has a much greater meaning and benefit throughout the completion stage.
Never losing your inner child is a part of being a happy man; the same is true for women; no matter how many lines around the eyes you have, within you still have the spirit of a young girl. The actual key to a relationship that will always be blessed is to keep a childish love of life, laughing, nature, and each other. Living in the present and not the past is another aspect of it. The best times should always be today and tomorrow when a couple enters the completion stage of their marriage.