Nowadays, physical and emotional distance is more common than we think in relationships, since the unbridled pace of life that a large part of the population leads forces us to follow a strict routine that prevents us from reconciling work life with family life. staff.
Thus, your daily routine can affect the amount of time you spend with your partner, as well as your communication and trust with them. Furthermore, the overload of responsibilities and the stress of everyday life can lead the couple towards a monotony that limits interest in the other person. Therefore, in this Psychology-Online article, we inform you of how distance affects a couplewhat effects emotional distance has and how to solve this situation.
When there is distance in a couple
In couple relationships there are two types of distance, physical and emotional. On the one hand, physical distance refers to the spatial separation of the two people who make up the couple, without this posing any inconvenience to the relationship.
On the other hand, emotional distance is based on a feeling of coldness between the two members of the couple. This type of distance gives rise to differences of opinion and psychological separation between both. Emotional distance in a couple is complex, since it is an emotional distance that limits displays of affection and that between both of them.
Signs of emotional distancing in a couple
The main signs that indicate that there is emotional distance in the couple are the following:
- Spend more time at work and/or friends.
- Abuse alcohol or other substances.
- Stop doing activities together.
- Make plans without including the other.
- Have small talk.
- Avoid social situations with each other’s family.
- Experience the feeling of routine life.
- Lose interest or concern for the other.
- Flee from sexual situations.
- Make excuses to not go out together.
- Act from resentment.
- Feeling alone despite being together.
- Make reproaches.
- Show Lack of compromise for the relationship.
Effects of distance on the couple
If you wonder how distance affects a couple, you should know that it can have negative repercussions on the relationship. Next, we will show you what the main effects of distance on a couple are:
- Difficulty expressing emotions or how each person feels.
- Differences in the contribution of affection in the couple.
- Limiting displays of affection. In this article you will find information on how to act against .
- Lack of trust and communication.
- Disinterest for the well-being of the other person.
- Feeling of and loneliness.
- Creation of a distant link based on coldness.
- Absence of desire to want to be or share time with the other.
- Limiting communication to routine and insignificant topics.
- Appearance of attraction or sexual thoughts about other people.
How to solve distance between couples
If you want to overcome emotional distancing in a couple, it is necessary to work on the causes that produce it, with the aim of recovering and improving the relationship. Generally, to solve the distance between the couple, you have to follow these steps:
- Identify that there is distance between the couple.
- Detect complications and/or limitations caused by emotional distance.
- Adopt an understanding and empathetic posture with the other person.
- Share more time together.
- Organize plans to spend quality time with your partner.
- Plan activities with friends and family.
- Communicate how each member of the couple feels and what they need.
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- Integrate elements that promote sexual attraction between both.
- Remember beautiful moments together.
- Tell each other how the day went.
- Pay attention to the small details.
- Show interest and concern for the other person.
- Find free and leisure time in which both coincide to organize plans.
- Carry out atypical activities that are perceived as novelty.
- Ask for help when you don’t know how to solve the emotional distance between your couple.
In these cases, couples therapy allows you to avoid unnecessary discussions. Therefore, if you notice that there is emotional distance in your partner and you do not know how to solve it, do not hesitate to contact a psychologist to overcome it through the ones you will find in this article. .
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to How distance affects a couplewe recommend that you enter our category.
Bibliography
- González-Rivera, JA (2020). Development and validation of an instrument to measure emotional intimacy in couple relationships. Psychological Reports, 20(2), 11-22. Available at: https://revistas.upb.edu.co/index.php/informespsicologicos/article/view/189
- Otero, XM (2005). Neither with nor without you: the unbreakable couple. Intercontinental Journal of Psychology and Education, 7(2), 27-42. Available at: https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/802/80270203.pdf
- Vargas Flores, JDJ, & Ibáñez Reyes, EJ (2008). Differentiation as a model for the analysis of couple relationships. Electronic Journal of Psychology Iztacala, 11(1). Available at: https://www.iztacala.unam.mx/carreras/psicologia/psiclin/vol11num1/vol11No1Art6.pdf