Do You Need Space In A Relationship?

Some people do better when they are together constantly, and others crave more of their own space in a relationship, so how much space in a relationship is necessary? The answer depends a lot on the type of relationship it is, and each person in it, the hard part is finding a happy medium that both people are comfortable with, this is made more difficult when you each have very different ideas about togetherness and space, but as long as you can compromise on the level of space in a relationship that you both need, then you can work through this challenge.

Some people don't like to be alone. They are much happier spending all their time with coworkers, friends, family and their partner. When they are alone and doing things on their own they feel a little lost and lonely. Other people cherish their alone time. Without a little solitude every day they feel burdened and have a hard time relaxing. They feel that they always have to be “up” or “on” for other people when they're around them, and it can be exhausting.

Those are two extremes, of course. There are also a lot of people who fall somewhere in the middle. They love the time they spend with their partner, but they also want some me-time to balance it out and recharge. If both of you fall into that happy medium, then defining your space in a relationship should be pretty easy. And if you each fall into the same extreme group, where you both need lots of space or you both dislike being alone, things are made easier, too.

The problems come when one has a very different idea than the other. If you love your solitude and your partner hates being alone, you really need to talk and set some boundaries. Each need to understand the other's point of view so you can come up with a compromise that makes you both feel your needs are met. If you love being alone each day for a while and your partner craves company 24/7, here's the problem. When you say you need space in a relationship and go off on your own, your partner will feel neglected as if you don't want to be around because of them.

And if you hate being alone and your partner really wants some me-time, then by hanging around constantly you can start to make your partner feel smothered. Your partner might also think that there's no trust there, and you won't give him or her private time because you're afraid of what he or she might do when you’re not around.

You can see how both of these situations could quickly cause problems in a relationship. But if you talk to each other honestly and openly about how you feel, then when you need time your partner will understand why. And when he or she hangs around when you'd rather be alone, you recognize that he or she doesn't need the same kind of space in a relationship that you do.