Moving in with your partner, whether after marriage or somewhere along your relationship, is an exciting and a big next step to take. A step that, when you're in a solid, committed, steady, relationship, is usually an inevitable and natural one. While the excitement of finding a house together, doing it up and finally having a space you can call "ours" is wonderful, there are certain things people can overlook in the chaos of the whole process. No matter how well thought out your decision to start living together may be, there will be certain situations in which you will find yourself unprepared and unsure about what to do. There are things you just can't see before you actually start cohabiting with someone. To save you from a few surprises (and shocks) along the way, we've listed out a few things you should know before you move in with your significant other.
1. There won't always be enough room for both your emotions
No matter how long you've been together and how many fights you've had, nothing can prepare you for the fact that fights do and will take on a completely new dimension when you're living under one roof. You might have slammed doors and walked out in anger before, but you always had your own home and your own room to go back to. Now, your own home and your own room are shared with the person you least want to deal with at that moment. It can be extremely frustrating when you're both fuming in the same physical place. Your beautiful new home can suddenly start to feel too small when you become more and more aware of each other's actions within the same space.
In such situations, it's best for one of you to voluntarily take the living room couch, watch some television and just cool off before slamming any more doors. If sitting on a couch doesn't ease you, take a long walk and don't come back until you know you're in control of your emotions. One of you needs to be.
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Also Read: 3 Tips For Sleeping Better When You're Sharing A Bed With Your Partner
2. You will need to seek out quality time with one another
Yes, you're living together, which means you're going to see each other all the time. But sitting next to each other and watching TV or browsing your phone, doesn't actually mean that you're with each other. Sitting side by side doesn't guarantee quality, meaningful couple time. Make sure to seek out some "us" time every once in a while. Try out a new restaurant, go for walks, plan a vacation, engage in actual conversation (not just about house chores and work) - anything that makes you spend time beyond watching a show on Netflix.
3. People will begin to view you as one entity
While some can't get enough of always being thought of together and as one single being, for others, accepting that now every single thing that they do or their partner does also reflects on them, is harder to come to terms with. Whether or not you like it, once you live together, people will begin to view you as a single unit as opposed to two individuals - at least people who don't know you very well.
While it's great to be two individuals with your own mindsets and beliefs, there's something very special about being viewed as one solid unit. So don't take it as a negative. You just have to open your mind and learn to see the beauty in it.
