We’ve all been there before. You’re in a relationship and things just aren’t going well. Maybe you’re not communicating as effectively as you could be. Maybe there’s some resentment that’s built up over time.
Or maybe you just feel like you’re stuck in a rut. Whatever the reason, sometimes we find ourselves in relationships that just don’t feel right anymore. So what can we do when we feel trapped in a relationship?
What can you do when you start feeling trapped in a relationship?
1. Be honest with yourself:
Sometimes, when a person feels trapped in a relationship, they don’t realize it at first. First, they may feel unhappy or frustrated. If you notice that you have not been feeling like your usual self, you need to take a deep breath, sit down and actively confront yourself about the root cause of it all.
It’s important to remember that we always have a choice, so don’t be scared to open your eyes to what the problem is. In the end, we can choose to stay in the relationship and try to work things out, or we can choose to walk away.
If we decide to stay, then it’s important to communicate openly and honestly with our partners. We should also be willing to put in the effort to make things work. On the other hand, if we decide that the best thing for us is to walk away, then we should do so with compassion and understanding. No matter what we decide, it’s important to remember that we are always in control of our own happiness.
A few things that you should try to analyze to make this choice are: how exactly you are feeling trapped and do you think the relationship can change so you can stop feeling like this. Sometimes, we put too much pressure on ourselves and do a lot of overthinking which can make the problem seem bigger than it is.
All you need might be more space maybe so don’t overanalyze things or try to find flaws in your partner and dehumanize them. Check this article out later on how much space is normal in a relationship, if you think that’s a factor.
2. Work with your partner not against them:
When we have problems with our romantic partners, we tend to view them as our opponents. As someone who is in the way of a happy life, maybe even the source of all problems. Well, in most cases, not just one side is at fault. If you are feeling trapped, then chances are: your partner isn’t happy either.
If you truly want this situation to change, you need to communicate with your partner what you have been feeling and listen to them express how they feel as well. Then, if you decide to continue to be together, you will need to find a solution that pleases both.
Maybe that could be changing your routines, engaging in fun activities that you always wanted to do, or even being around your friends and family more often. All of that can enrich both of your lives and provide useful insights into how to have a healthy couple’s life.
3. Ask all the necessary questions:
You need to be able to ask all the big questions, both to yourself and to your partner. When you are having a conversation with your partner, you need to ask them questions like: “Are you happy with what the relationship looks like, at the moment?”, “Do you think we should take a break?”, “Should we end the relationship?”, “Do you still want to be in this relationship?” and “What are the things that we are willing to change?”.
Only through action will you be able to change something. Though the prospect of having this type of conversation looks daunting, no matter the outcome, you will definitely feel more relieved and maybe even free, afterward.
4. Don’t dwell on past behaviors:
Once you stop feeling trapped it’s crucial that you keep moving forward. When you feel trapped in a relationship, and in order to stop feeling that way, you need to make changes and create new habits. Since new habits are hard to maintain, it will be easier than you think to fall back into your unhealthy behaviors.
Old habits are hard to let go of because they feel like second nature. They come to you by instinct. To replace them with new, healthier habits you need to think of them and actively act on them.
It can be hard at the beginning so, as a way of encouragement, try to remember why you are changing some aspects of your life.
5. Focus on your progress, even if it’s small:
One of the things that makes it hard for people to stop feeling trapped in a relationship is that they expect an immediate change when, in reality, it will take longer than that. Essentially, you got used to feeling trapped, even if it didn’t make you happy, so you will want to feel instantly rewarded because you went out of your comfort zone.
Stopping to feel trapped in a relationship is a process that requires many steps. And, to avoid wanting to go back to what you know instead of venturing into the unknown, you need to see the small progress you make each day to make the relationship stronger, more romantic, and more fulfilling.
6. Believe in love:
If you are struggling in a relationship because you feel trapped, but don’t know why you still want to be in it, it’s probably because you don’t believe that you still love your partner. Love is not the cure or the answer for everything, and many people who have been in unhealthy relationships have said that love was there still.
So, if you still have love and compassion for one another that’s perfect but that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to work on the relationship more and more. If you both still love each other then believe that there’s a way to make your relationship healthier and work together actively to spice things up.
In fact, if you’re desperate for getting your partner’s attention again and seeing if that will work, try checking out this article and it will guide you on a few things you can do to rekindle your love!