You have been seeing an amazing person for a few months. Things are going well. You both have tons in common, enjoy each other’s company and have navigated some tricky conversations. You both have been so in the moment you haven’t felt the need to put a label on things.
One day you get an invitation in the mail to attend a wedding of a distant cousin and you should bring a date. You want to bring your special person, but your family will immediate ask questions. You might feel at a lost for what to do next. Should you guys finally have that monogamy talk? How do you want to define your relationship? Will that set up expectations that either of you might not live up to? Will having a label make you a stronger couple or will it put too much pressure on one or both of you?
Take a step back and breathe. Labels aren’t for everyone. Often, they are used to help others make sense of your situation, but may ignore your best interests. Read on to discover eight reasons why you don’t need a label for your love to have a successful relationship.
- You Stay Together Because You Enjoy Each Other’s Company and Not Out of Obligation
Monogamy raises the stakes and the pressures of having enough time for each other. Without a label a person is just a person with their own choices and aesthetic. In a committed relationship, a person’s choices, actions and behaviors unfairly impact the perception of their partner. Messy clothes, bad sense of humor and lack of motivation all have negative stigmas for both partners in the eyes of society. You also might feel pressure to push your lover to step up their game not out of the goodness of your heart, but because their betterment may improve your live as well.
- You Feel Pressures to be Intimate More Frequently
Without a label you guys got physical whenever the mood struck you. Sometimes with a label you wonder if you are having enough sex or going too long between sessions. Also, you might wonder in what situations you guys should have public displays of affections or what your paramour might think if you want to go home by yourself early.
- Expectations Can Be a Four-Letter Word
Expectations are seldom helpful in relationships. Frequently, they lead to disappointment as reality pales to a fantasy. Expectations limit your ability to live in the moment and enjoy the quirks in life. Often life is most fulfilling when you have the ability to embrace the unknown.
- You Want Freedom to Grow
Early in a relationship you might not know what is important to you. If you become serious too quickly you both might experience heartaches if your needs are not in line. Without a label, you have the ability to be a friend with benefit, confidant, plus one and activity partners as the situation dictates.
- Gossip Folk
You want to attract attention? Tell a group of people you met a special someone. Without a label, your affair can just be your private exciting secret.
- Avoiding Commitment Anxiety
Sometimes, after we label a relationship we worry about if we made the right decision. What if a better option is still out there? What if they break our heart? Living without a label allows you to enjoy time together without worrying about how they perceive your time apart. You can miss each other and enjoy the reconnecting more without the unnecessary worry or overthinking.
- What if He is Mr. Wrong?
Rushing to label your situation can make you both miss signs that you may be a poor fit. By taking a slow and relax pace you can ensure your compatibility and protect your hearts.
- Be Yourself!
Labels can make you feel compelled to be someone you aren’t. You may feel you have to live up to the image of being the “perfect partner” for each other. Don’t feel like you have to race to get the hottest new release if your love is gamer if you prefer knitting. Likewise, they should have to force themselves to eat meat if you aren’t a vegetarian like them. Instead of focusing on placing a label on what you have, work on building your communications skills together. As you spend more time together and have periodic healthy talks, you will find a label may happen on its own when the time is right.