Do you listen to your head or to your heart? Highs and lows of relationships can be exhausting. But love and logic can be partners, says psychologist Jennifer Garth.
You can’t concentrate, you feel flushed, you’ve lost your appetite, you can’t breathe, and you’re having heart palpitations. No, you’re not having a panic attack, you’re just love sick.
As any romantic will tell you, there is nothing quite like the temporary insanity of falling in love. But in the 21st century, the age of tumultuous personal relationships, being an incurable romantic can be hazardous to your health.
If you’re sick of jumping from one emotional high to another, take heart. Logic and love can be partners.
Destiny’s child:
If you’re an incurable romantic, you’re probably convinced that people are either meant for each other – or not. For you, love is all about destiny. You don’t believe in working at a relationship. In fact, you view relationship problems as a sign that you’re not meant to be together.
It’s fair to say that, with your destiny approach to relationships, you’re never going to be caught in a dead-end partnership – but you could be doing yourself a disservice by deciding a little too quickly that a new partner isn’t quite right for you.
If you’re not sure whether you have been acting in haste, ask yourself, when was the last time you had a relationship that lasted longer than two months?
the cure Ditch the idea of withdrawing from a relationship when your partner behaves in a less than ideal way, or your relationship hits a rough patch.
Relationships rely on closeness and compatibility, and these take time to develop. A long-term approach to getting to know someone will give you an opportunity to work out any problems or obstacles that may arise. Research shows that many happy couples found relationship challenges actually brought them closer together.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking your relationship will simply work itself out if it’s meant to be. You have to put in some effort.
