5 Signs You Need More Alone Time In Your Relationship

Here are just five of the signs that you may need more time spent in solitude:

Conflict is normal and can even be healthy in relationships. But if you find that you and your partner are often bickering over things that don't matter—whose turn it is to take out the trash or what to have for dinner, for example—that might be a sign that you need some space. It's only natural to get a little prickly while in close proximity with another person all the time. If you both take a little breathing room, you might find that you can get back to focusing on the things that matter.

It's all too easy to fall into a routine in your relationship. And routines can get pretty boring pretty quickly. If you find that you're getting bored with your partner—you keep doing and talking about the same things, or you're running out of things to talk about completely—try taking a step back. There's not necessarily anything wrong with your partner or with your relationship. You may just need an opportunity to view both with fresh eyes.

Plus, your friends know you for everything you are outside of your relationship. If you find that you're not spending as much time with your friends as you used to, you may need some space from your partner and more time with the people you knew prior to your relationship. (Your partner may find relief in not being the sole source of support in your life, too!)

When's the last time you went to yoga class? Or read a book? Or took a photography class? These are just examples, of course—whatever your thing is that you love to do (and loved to do even before you were in a relationship), when's the last time you took time for that? If you're no longer doing the things you've always loved to do—whether you're actively avoiding them because your partner isn't into them, or you've just let them fall off your radar because you never have time on your own—it might be time to reevaluate the time you have to yourself and how you're spending it. Don't let what you love to do slip because of time spent with who you love.

This last point is probably the most important sign that you need some space. If you no longer feel like yourself—but rather, like one-half of a partnership—then you likely need some time alone. While connectedness, compromise, and commitment are crucial to any relationship, it's never healthy to lose sight of who you are outside of it. If you don't feel like yourself anymore, then consider how you can take the space to reconnect to you, and allow that person to show up as their whole self in your relationship.

Needing space doesn't necessarily mean you don't love your partner; it just means that you also love yourself enough to create a healthy balance of time spent together and apart. Distance actually can make both your and your partner's hearts grow fonder when that space is created with intention and communication.