Being in a relationship can be a serious commitment. Even if you’re not planning for marriage yet, you’re still investing a considerable amount of time and energy with another person. The problem is, things aren’t always going to turn out the right way. More than anything, your emotional and mental health can be affected if your relationship starts to get rough. So here are some signs you should watch out for.

1.  Gaslighting

Let’s start with one of the worst forms of manipulation there is, gaslighting. Gaslighting is basically a tactic wherein the manipulator makes you question yourself and your sanity. One simple example is blatant lying. When it’s already very obvious that the other person is lying but he/she insists that “you’re just imagining things” or something like that.

2.  Your partner is being passive-aggressive

Another warning sign you definitely should not ignore is passive-aggressiveness. It’s pretty toxic because the other person makes you feel guilty just so he can get what he wants. No matter how much you think about it, it’s not healthy because the other person is using guilt instead of actually engaging in a discussion with you. If you let this go on, you’ll only make things more miserable for yourself.

3.  You submit to your partner’s opinions

If you find that you’re constantly changing your opinion just to please your partner, then that’s a bad sign. In a healthy relationship, you should be able to speak your mind freely without facing the criticism of your partner. If you consider not speaking at all because you’re going to get nagged by your partner anyways, that will be very taxing for you emotionally and mentally.

4.  There’s no trust anymore

Trust, of course, is crucial in any relationship. One of the more common examples is of sharing social media accounts. Some people like to know their partner’s social media passwords so that they know who their partner interacts with. But doing this is somehow breaching privacy already. Snooping too much on their interactions only show that you lack trust. Sometimes it can even be a reflection of you. You’re snooping too much because you are already guilty of breaking your partner’s trust.

5.  You simply do not feel good about the relationship anymore

With all the points mentioned above, you may just start feeling like the relationship isn’t the same anymore. You might start mutually avoiding each other just to spend some time apart. Or maybe you just stopped communicating as much as before. This is a good sign that you’re growing tired of the relationship already. Just don’t deny it and recognize that, if really taken to the extreme, you’ll just end it there.

When we talk about abusive relationships, the first things that probably come to mind are bruises and black eyes. While abuse can certainly be in the form of physical violence, it can also be an assault without physical contact. In fact, emotional abuse is more common form of abuse in relationships today.

Perhaps, you won’t see it coming because these people often appear attentive, sweet and charming in the beginning. They will make you feel loved and appreciated that you won’t notice him/her discreetly manipulating you. But there are red flags you can watch out for during the early stage of the relationship to help you spot an emotionally abusive partner.

1. Being Casually Manipulative
Manipulation is an abuser’s way of communicating so they won’t be held accountable of their wrong actions. Gaslighting is the most common form of manipulation, which is when your partner communicates with you in a way that makes you question your own intention for the relationship. If your partner makes you feel guilty for your reaction towards his fault, you probably have an emotional abuser on your hands.

2. Being Entitled to All of Your Time
While it’s totally normal to want to spend a lot of time with your significant other, it becomes a problem when you need a little space and your partner finds it unacceptable. Usually, they insist to go with you or guilt you into ditching your plans. This is not love; this is control. Learn to stand firm on your decisions and do not feel guilty for setting boundaries to have time for yourself. If your SO doesn’t get that, then that person may not be the best partner to be with in life.

3. Their “Passion” for You Makes You Feel Bad About Yourself
Being with a passionate person is something we all want. It makes us feel loved and wanted. However, unhealthy things in the relationship can be masked with ‘passion.’ If your partner gets jealous easily if another guy or girl looks at you, and goes to say “I love you so much that it freaks me out when someone checks you out,” or he sees you wearing a dress and asks you to change because he loves you and doesn’t want you to look like a slut, then that is jealousy, and jealousy is never a compliment.

4. They Casually Put You Down
Abusers tend to attack their partners emotionally in a sneaky way. They will target your self-esteem because for them it is easier to manipulate you if you have lower self-esteem. When your partner makes casual negative comments about your physical appearance or weight, or consistently puts emphasis on your weaknesses, they are likely attempting to put you down so you’ll be dependent with their assurances.

You deserve better than this kind of people. It may be hard to end a relationship, but being in an emotionally abusive relationship will never do any good for you.

Every couple has their own unique way of strengthening their relationship. Each person involved in a relationship needs to invest in time and effort in order to build a strong and positive relationship. Here are some noteworthy must-do habits that every happy couple should remember.

1. Say “Good Morning” and “Have a nice day” every day

Nothing beats the feeling of being loved by your partner and he/she gets to show it every morning. It’s nice to say these statements early every day in order for the both of you to start your days happy and right.

2. Check on your partner during the day

You can call or text your during the day and check on them. You can ask how their day is going or have they eaten their lunch yet. Try to be extra sweet and send a few smooches or hugs through your messages. This is also a nice way to know if they are feeling down or happy so that you’d know what mood to expect when you go home.

3. Hold hands, hug and kiss your partner from time to time

Don’t be afraid to be intimate with your loved one. As much as possible, show them you love and care for them through hugs and kisses. It’s always comforting to know that you’re partner still thinks you’re adorable and values your presence.

4. Say goodnight and go to bed at the same time

Even if how busy you are, make sure that by the end of the day both of you will go to sleep at the same time. This will help develop your connection more.

5. Say “I love you” as often as possible

Never fail to say “I love you” to your significant other as much as possible. Don’t just say it out of habit but make them feel that you appreciate them and that you sincerely feel the same way.

6. Go on dates

It’s important that to become happier with your relationship, you should go on dates as frequent as you can. This could help spice up your relationship and could potentially deepen your romantic connection and commitment with each other.

7. Establish your trust and loyalty with each other

Even when you just started your relationship, you must have established a strong foundation through trust and loyalty. It is significant that both of you trust each other with your decisions and at the same time you stay loyal and strong because you know how to forgive when there may be disagreements.

8. Encourage each other’s goals

You have to support each other’s goals and aspirations in order to help build a great relationship. Each of you should serve as inspiration to make both of your lives better and happier.

Every woman wants to find Mr. Right. To find him, efforts are needed to be done like going out on dates, having actual real conversations and getting to know each other moments. With that, we also need to be careful with what we share and say because there are some guys, like the respectable and eligible bachelors in Singapore, who are actually listening and would know whether you are also the right girl for them. In order to save yourself from embarrassment and heartbreak of becoming a turnoff, you should note the following mood killers to avoid in conversations.

1. Gossip

If you do not want to appear shallow and judgmental then you should avoid initiating or sharing gossip to your date or possible boyfie. It could really be a turnoff if he hears you enjoying spreading rumors about other people that you should not be meddling about.

2. Material things

When talking with men, it is not really advisable to talk about all the material things you own. Some would take it against you and would think of you as materialistic or a showoff which could lose their interest in you. Men find it more attractive if you talk about things that both of you might have in common, may it be material or a hobby. Just don’t share too much on material things or shopping not unless he likes to talk about such topics.

3. Insecurities

It is better that you do not second-guess yourself all the time. Most men like confident women. Show them that you do not need reassurance all the time and that you have a high self-esteem and that you love yourself enough. Insecure girls are always clingy and needy which are basically big turnoffs for guys.

4. Biases

Sometimes we do not notice harsh comments and racist statements that we say and this could kill our chances to finding true love. Being disrespectful and racist to other races can make you offensive and mean. You wouldn’t want to be known as the girl who constantly makes racist remarks, right? As much as possible, think before you share your thoughts on sensitive topics like racism, etc.

5. Negativity

Who would want to have a partner who constantly speaks negatively? You should avoid talking about problems or negative remarks all the time. You should raise the spirit and bring happiness to conversations and not the other way around.

6. Critical comments

If a guy hears you making fun of other people, it could potentially end his feelings for you not unless he’s a jerk and enjoys hearing those things. But with decent and great guys, it is better that you refrain yourself from being such a bully and as much as possible show come compassion and kindness. Don’t make yourself look small by putting others down. Kindness is always sexier and attractive than being insensitive and mean.

The concept of law of attraction is pretty simple, you attract or bring in to your life what you think and believe the most. So, if you’re thinking more of negative thoughts then you will get more of it in the future and same is true for the positive ones. This is a new thought based upon Philosophy that claims you attract some sort of energy. Moreover, the said concept received many skeptical comments and write-ups due to its lack of testability about how one’s thought can actually affect the circumstances outside his head. Despite the opposing claims, many have adapted its possibility in the hopes of getting a better life.

While Law of Attraction’s magic is still under discussion, here are few lessons we can draw from it that might be of help in our respective lives:

Clear and proper alignment

When the things you want out of life are clear to you and in turn, feel positive about it, your actions will be directed towards these goals and aspirations, thus, there is proper alignment or mutual agreement between your thoughts and actions. For example, if you are targeting to get higher sales for a promotion (your motivation is clear here—to be promoted) and you feel hyped just about thinking it, you will become driven to develop new marketing strategies that will back you up in approaching your clients.

Positive thinking generate happy feelings

Nobody enjoys the feeling of depression and bad stress for the rest of their lives. When you think about positive things or thoughts that please you, it never fails to bring out joy, happiness, hope and excitement. As a result, you feel good about yourself, your job, family and friends and you see the good in almost everything. Physiologically, your body releases happy hormones or feel-good chemicals when you feel great.

Gratefulness bring more appreciation

One of the concepts taught by Law of Attraction is to list down the things that you “currently” have and feel thankful for it. This action helps you see the glass half full instead of half empty, meaning to say, instead of focusing on the things that you do not have, you shift your attention and energy to what you possess. In turn, you will realize that no matter what your situation is, there is still something good about it and it’s not that bad after all.

You stop your limiting beliefs

Sometimes, the only person who is stopping you from achieving what you want in life is you. With your thoughts suggesting self-disbelief and underestimation of strengths, you doom yourself inside a world where you cannot maximize your full potential. When you reconsider the cliché of “everything is possible, just put your mind and heart into it” idea, you begin to re-evaluate yourself, the next steps you can take on—little by little until you get to what you want to become.

The friend zone is a dreaded place a guy who is attracted to a girl of afraid of being in. There are good guys out there just waiting for the perfect opportunity to make a move on a girl they like and for them to be stuck in the friend zone is simply unfair.

He’s deeply in love with you.

When a person is madly in love with someone, it’s hard to be just friends with them. There are guys who are not accustomed to wooing and making a move on a girl but they would do huge favors for you. They’ll open doors for you, watch your favorite movies with you and maybe even listen to you talk about your troubles. These are people who will do everything to have you in their life.

These guys will move mountains if they have to for you. Don’t take advantage of Mr. Nice Guy. If you won’t give him the chance, don’t just let him follow you everywhere like a lost puppy. Get real with him and set the record straight.

Friends make the best relationship partners.

Are you afraid that getting into the next level relationship with this person will ruin the friendship that you have? It might. It might not. The surefire way to find out is to take that leap. A good relationship partner is a good friend. If he’s there for you always, likes you for who you really are and supports your dreams, then it would make sense that he’ll be a good boyfriend to you.

If the only reason he’s still in the friend zone is because of that fear, don’t you think it’s unfair to both of you? You owe that to him and you owe it to yourself to be true to what you really want.

Even if you’re the most patient person in the world, dealing with a difficult partner will still push you to your limits. Although it’s normal and healthy to fight in relationships, it’s still important to avoid the trouble before it even starts. So before you become too frustrated with your partner, here are three types of the most difficult partners that you can have, as well as the ways on how you can deal and improve your relationship with them.

1. The Jealous Type

Ever had a partner who seem to never trust you? Well, that’s how jealous partners work. This type of partner acts the way he does because they are highly insecure in a way that he himself can’t help. Some of them are even aware that most of their paranoia is irrational, but they still can’t help feeling the fear and insecurity. While it may sometimes feel like a question of trust, it’s actually not you they distrust but the people around you or the situation that you’re in. They fear that somebody out there is bound to steal you away from him.

The Fix: Although it’s easier to just bicker with a jealous partner, having proper communication is really the key to solve his trust issues. You can reassure him by arranging a dinner date where both of you and your guy friends can hang out together. That way, your guy and your friends can have actual conversations, and once he sees that your guy friend isn’t really the horrible person he thinks him to be, he’ll learn to ease up. This may take some time though, so just be patient with him.

2. The Moody Type

While being moody is quite common in girls, there are still plenty of guys who get all too sensitive and broody in just a minute. Although this can be hard, since your moods tend to get intertwined with your partner, it’s important that you understand that they didn’t want to feel bad all of a sudden. When their mood strikes, they can’t do anything to fend off from it. Understand that more than you or anyone else, they themselves want the sadness to end.

The Fix: One good thing about moods is that they end just as inevitably and suddenly as they begin. While it’s quite common to want to help and cheer your partner up, doing so won’t help most of the time. Moods have no cause or fix – they just happen and end. It’s important that you remind him about this and to ensure that you’ll just be by his side until the sadness fades.

3. The Addict Type

Almost everyone has a vice. They are good stress relievers and has already become a part of our everyday life. If you’re lucky enough, your partner may be addicted to baking you cookies and cupcakes but more often, we get partners who are smokers, or worse, porn addicts. This happens as it’s not impossible for you to fall in love with someone who has a vice that you don’t altogether agree with. Although you don’t want to be controlling, you still fear for your partner’s health and this makes you want to force a well-meant change into his life.

The Fix: There are several ways as to how you can make your partner realize that have already become addicted on a particular vice. But regardless of the method you choose to use, it’s important that you do it out of love and not out of judgment. Once he realizes and admits the problem, all that’s left to do is to discipline him. Remember to not falter in this phase though, as your partner surely will.

Relationships are a two-way street, which is why both parties need to work toward finding common ground to make their relationship prosper. Instead of arguing about your partner’s traits and behaviour, learn to understand and care for him even more.

As they say, life isn’t just about making money and having a successful job. Admit it or not, having all that success in a career wouldn’t be so satisfying unless you get to share it with the ones you love or simply with a special someone. But as time has changed, so have the priorities of most people. In this era, more emphasis has been placed on careers rather than on love.

So, what do you do if you’re mostly busy from work but also want to finally meet that someone whom you’ll share all your success and happiness with? Of course, it would be too radical to simply choose one over the other. So, before you make any drastic decisions, why not consider speed dating?

Speed dating isn’t a new concept anymore. It has been around for several years now. The first one actually happening in 1998 in Beverly Hills at a place called Pete’s Cafe. Basically, in speed dating, singles meet in an event. The pretense is eliminated because all those attending the event are there for the same purpose, which is finding a partner. For an allotted time, a pair of single people gets to meet and talk to each other.

When that time is over, the singles get to interact with new singles in the event. Simply put, it’s just like one of those European dances you see in movies where they exchange partners as the music plays, except that with speed dating they’re not dancing but getting to know each other. Throughout the years, speed dating has already crossed several seas and borders.

So it isn’t surprising to know that even here in Singapore, speed dating has also made its way. In fact, Social Development Network (SDN) is one of those that organizes speed dating events here. SDN continues to support the idea of marriages among singles and remains to provide an avenue for singles in Singapore to meet.

To give all the singles out there a heads up, SDN is once again organizing an event for speed dating this coming May 4^th, 2014. The event will be from 6pm until 9:30pm and it will be held at The Studio Bar, 778 North Bridge Road. So, if you’re ready to take charge of your love life and finally find that special someone, then go ahead and give speed dating a try!