7 Signs You’re in a Stagnant Relationship

Knapp’s relationship model explains how relationships start, maintain, and eventually end. Stagnation, the third step in the coming apart stage of a relationship, occurs when the relationship is ending and the only reason for staying together is for unavoidable reasons for example, staying together for the kids. Usually at this stage the relationship isn’t going to get better.

1. Are you Image Obsessed?

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Do you resemble President Fitz and Mellie from "Scandal?" Are you in love, or just posing for cameras to better your image?

Some may be in the stagnation phase to better their careers or impression management. For example, if someone is in a negative romantic relationship, they may post photos of them as a “happy couple” for impression management purposes.

2. The Perfect Family, Huh?

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Are you a parent that constantly posts on social media to make your children and relatives think everything is A-OKAY?

Some parents, who are only together because of their children, may use social media as a platform for their children or family to believe that they are in a happy relationship, although there are many underlying issues such as affairs or loss of connection!

3. Listen to your feed....

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Social media creates an environment in which relationship status updates can either make or break a relationship. The accessibility of personal information about a person’s relationship creates this feeling of social anxiety because everyone in your network can see what you are doing. If someone see’s your status update to “in a relationship” the other partner might not be ready for an open change and might create stagnation because of it.

4. Whatever she says is probably right...

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Updated relationship statuses can cause tension in a relationship because of the implications it causes later down the line. You are essentially opening up your personal life to your immediate network by changing your relationship status. It is almost a social stigma that comes along with updating your relationship status because it almost forces you to conform to social norms. It can also be a way of purposely causing tension between you and your relationship in order to gain something out of it.

5. If what Kermit is saying is relevant to your life

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People that are unhappy or stagnant in their relationships tend to hide their relationship statuses on social media.

6. if you've written or seen subtweets like these about you

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People that are in stagnant relationships may choose to vent their frustration with passive aggressive tweets or status updates

7. if you’ve given or gotten a card like this

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People that are in stagnant relationships tend to forget important events like their partners anniversaries, birthdays and special occasions.