So let’s get to the bottom of this—is the honeymoon phase only a few months long? According to Lieberman, you have a bit more time than you might think. “On average, it lasts about 12 months, and then no matter what we do, it starts to fade,” he says. However, it could be less or more than a year—every relationship is different.
This honeymoon phase, also called “passionate love,” is just an era, so it won’t last forever. During this time, it can feel so intoxicating to be with the other person that you might start to believe this overpowering feeling won’t ever ebb. However, if you have become convinced this passion is how things should be, then you may start to panic when it slows down—even though it’s completely normal.
“A lot of people make the mistake of confusing the end of passionate love with the end of the relationship, and they say, ‘Oh my God, I’ve fallen out of love with this person. I need to find someone else,'” says Lieberman. He refers to this experience as the “hedonic treadmill,” when someone constantly chases that fiery, passionate love again and again. But when you continue chasing something that naturally fades with time, what is the result? Well, as Lieberman says, “That’s not a recipe for happiness.”
Luckily, the next phase might be more exciting than you think, but it’s helpful to know what’s to come so you can be prepared for the spark to change.