The Honeymoon Phase: Slow Down to Go the Distance

Every little mannerism or thing she does is beyond adorable. Every statement he utters is worthy of a Nobel Prize. They're so wonderful, understanding, charming and miraculously you seem to agree on everything.

We've all been there. Welcome to the honeymoon phase. Many relationships start off peachy keen. It's a joyous time during those first three to six months. However, it may come to a grinding halt when you realize that perhaps you aren't a fan of sauteed mushrooms like she is or that he does have a habit of popping his knuckles at red lights.

Some relationships survive the end of the honeymoon period, others fall by the wayside. There's no need to feel bad if your coupledom didn't have the fuel for the long run and the relationship loses steam. Believe it or not, that how love works. Romantic love wasn't meant to last forever -- it's there to fire up the engines to assist in the matching process.

So, how can you survive this period and keep the love alive? Good question. The answer is to do novel things together. Novelty drives up levels of dopamine, a brain chemical that is associated with arousal, motivation and goal-orientated behavior . . . the stuff love is made of.

Just in case it does turn out to be a false start, pace yourself during the honeymoon stage. Don't spend every spare moment with your new crush. Your friends and family aren't there to fill in the gaps until that special someone comes along.

Remember, you are in the "getting to know" you stage. You might decide that this is not the right person for you and will have to return to your old single life. If you've blown off your friends and your work has suffered, don't expect to find things exactly as you left them.

Also, keeping your own life going while you are in the honeymoon courtship phase take the pressure off the other person to be your everything.