Sweet smiles. Cute texts. Small gestures. These are the things that make a new relationship so exciting. You have finally established that you both have feelings for each other and have taken that step of making it an official relationship. This is an exhilarating time because you are still trying to woo each other, but there is no stress of wondering whether feelings are mutual or if you are just making a fool of yourself. You are together and you are happy!

 

Although things are in the honeymoon stage and you are most likely in a state of bliss, new relationships can also bring a little pressure. I am two months into my new relationship, but the first month brought Christmas, New Year’s, and his birthday along with it. The beginning of a relationship is when you are discovering each other and finding out the little things that make up this person that you are so infatuated with. Having Christmas and his birthday come at me right at the get-go definitely gave me anxiety because gift-giving is already difficult in itself. Adding on the pressure of wanting to give my boyfriend something meaningful but not wanting to go overboard and not being completely sure as to what he would want really packed on the pressure!

 

In situations like this, it is good that you would want to impress your new significant other, but it is also important to remember that you are what attracted them in the first place, not what you buy for them. It may sound cliche, but they will truly like anything you give them because the thought really does count!

 

Another way that new relationships can bring stress is letting your true colors show. In the “talking” stage, there is a level of intimacy where you let the other person in as you get to know each other, but there is still that level of mysteriousness that makes them want to know more. Once you define yourselves as a couple, the walls start to come down, and you may get nervous that your partner may not like what they see. When this happens, you should take the time to remember that you both decided to take the step into being in a relationship. That requires a certain level of dedication to a person, as well as a level of trust. Starting a relationship by trying to hide yourself because you are afraid that the other person may think you are crazy is not a good way to start out. You need to be able to trust in the feelings that your significant other has for you.

 

Having said all of that, soak in every second of your new relationship! It is an exciting and happy time! You never know what relationships can lead to, but it is important to enjoy it and make the most of it!