You’re in a six months relationship and you’re happy with a capital H! But, what does hitting the six month anniversary really mean?
The six month relationship mark is a pretty impressive milestone, so yay for you! Of course, when you start dating someone, every single week feels like an achievement.
Those first few months of dating are exciting and take away your appetite and sanity! Put simply, the honeymoon period might be blissful in some ways, but it’s confusing and stressful in others!
For that reason, you’d be forgiven for thinking that when you hit the six month anniversary mark, you can exhale and breathe normally. Basically, a six months relationship is a big deal, but it doesn’t mean you’ve “made it” either.
You’ve been dating for half a year, and that’s a long period of time in anyone’s life, especially in romance measurements. The problem is, many people misinterpret the six month mark to mean something extremely significant.
Don’t get us wrong, celebrate it and be hopeful that the confusing times of early dating are behind you. Just be careful how far you go.
Six months is a long time, we’ll give you that. However, it’s also a short enough amount of time to cause panic and stress if you push things into serious territory before your partner is ready. [Read: Dating or in a relationship? The 14 signs to know your true status]
Let me tell you a story …
I do love a good story, but let this be a cautionary tale.
Looking back on my early 20s, I cringe. I was so keen to move relationships on before they were ready and lost great opportunities to get to know people. Simply because I was in such a rush. There was one person I adored, seriously. They were my world for literally six months. Everything had been perfect, and when that magical six month anniversary rolled around, I thought “this is it!”
No more early dating nightmares, no more second-guessing and confusion. I’d finally found The One.
Now, this person could very well have been The One, but I messed it up. How? Because I pushed things too far, too soon. [Read: Rushed relationship – 25 signs and fixes to slow down and save your love]
You might be rolling your eyes at this point and thinking “no girl, no! If you feel it, you go for it!” But you see, that’s what I thought and it didn’t get me very far.
My apparent The One didn’t appreciate my pushing. As a result, they ran off to become someone else’s The One. The last I heard they were married and living in some exotic land with endless beaches.
I know, it makes you sick, right? [Read: The different types of exes we modern daters have to deal with all the time]
What does a six month relationship actually mean?
It means you’ve been dating for six months. That’s literally what it means. Because people move at different speeds in life and that includes in their relationships too.
You might meet one couple who’ve been dating for five months and they’re so smitten that they’re engaged. Then, you might meet another couple who have been together a year and they’re only just meeting the parents.
Six months literally means six months. Try not to put a label on it or assume that hitting that special month means anything more than it did when you hit five months. It’s hard, for sure, but if you want this thing to last, you need to chill, see where it goes, and enjoy the ride. [Read: Relationship milestones – 15 dating highlights you should be proud of]
Does the six month anniversary mean you’ve found a keeper?
It might… or it might not. People split up after being together for eight years plus. We know, depressing thought. You cannot reach a safe point in a relationship where you can assume 100% that you’re going to be together forever and nothing will ever break you apart.
Relationships aren’t like that. If it was that simple, would relationships be as exciting as they are? Yes, they can be gut-wrenching at times, but the whole uncertainty is what makes them magical.
Okay, we’ll admit that some people will hit that six month anniversary and walk down the aisle a few months later. It happens, we’re not going to disagree, but those are the lucky ones.
Who is to say that they’ll stay together? Let’s hope they do, but it’s not guaranteed – nothing is. [Read: How to avoid falling into an instant relationship and take things slowly]
The very best advice at any stage of a relationship is to chill the hell out. Mark that six month anniversary down in your diary or on your phone. Then, go out and have a great time together. What we don’t want you to do is make a huge deal out of it.
Use it as an excuse to have a great date night, perhaps do something together you’ve never done before. But DO NOT use it as an excuse to have The Talk. That will just pressurize everything and make it too much of a big deal. [Read: How to talk to someone about defining the relationship]
Should you know where you’re going after six months?
There is a common idea that if you don’t know where you’re going with someone you’re dating after a few months, they’re stringing you along and you need to get out. We totally disagree.
The truth is, you can never really know where you’re going until you’re actually there. Doesn’t that take half the fun out of seeing what happens? If you plan everything out and know your agenda for a relationship, nothing feels fun or spontaneous. How boring!
It’s true that you want to know that you and your partner are on the same page. You want the same things, but that doesn’t mean that you set out a timeline for when those things will happen.
It comes down to compatibility and communication. Sure, talk about what you want in the future throughout your relationship, but don’t make it a running dialogue or turn the dating stage into an ultimatum unless you really must. [Read: What does exclusive mean? 15 signs that reveal the stage you’re in]
But, when should you have The Talk?
It’s very normal to want clarity in general. It’s true that you can never know what life is going to throw at you, but you do want to know that the person you’ve been dating in this six months relationship actually wants the same things as you.
You might also want the comfort blanket of having a label, you want to be official. That’s fine, but you have to tread very carefully here.
Six months might seem like a long time but in reality, it’s not. But, we can’t tell you what you should and shouldn’t do. If you feel like having a talk about whether you’re official, exclusive, and what’s going on is important, then you should do it, but be careful how. [Read: Exclusive relationship – 36 signs you’re ready for it or in one already!]
Don’t sit them down on your six months anniversary and say “okay, today is our six months anniversary, so what’s going on here? What is this?”
There are more subtle ways to do it! The point is, you should feel at least somewhat secure in your relationship at this point.
If you don’t, then by all means try and gain some insight. But, if you’re just doing it for the sake of having a label, tread a little carefully. [Read: How long should you casually date someone before it gets serious?]
How to avoid the six month anniversary mistakes most new couples make
So, how can you ensure that you’re reaching seven months? Here are a few ways to avoid making a huge mistake and simply enjoy the day for what it is.
1. Casually mention that it’s your six month anniversary
Do not mention that your six month anniversary is coming up on x date every single day in the preceding two weeks! By doing that, you’re going to put a major amount of pressure on your partner and cause them to wonder why it’s such a big deal.
To them, it might not be a big deal at all and you shouldn’t take that personally. Instead, just mention it the day or two before in a casual way, “hey, did you know we’ve been seeing each other six months this week?” and then you can casually add in the date in an “I think it’s around Monday or Tuesday” kind of way.
2. By all means, celebrate your six month relationship
Casually suggest you do something special to celebrate. There’s no reason why not and for sure, it’s a milestone you should enjoy and do something special on.
Go and have a great time, but avoid putting too much importance on what it actually means. Never sit there and say “okay, what does six months actually mean?” [Read: What is commitment in a relationship and how to know if you have it]
3. Try not to post it all over social media
We know that it sounds like we’re trying to dampen your spirits and rain on your parade here, but going OTT about your six month anniversary isn’t going to do you any favors.
It doesn’t mean you can’t do something enjoyable together but it does mean pulling things back a little to avoid scaring your partner off. That’s not what you want to remember on your anniversaries to come.
So, avoid plastering this special date all over social media. You don’t need to advertise it, and it may put undue pressure on your partner. For sure, tell your closest friends, but you don’t have to advertise it to the world. [Read: Social media and relationships – The good, the bad, & the ugly]
4. Try not to see it as an achievement
It’s hard to keep your excitement down to a simmer if you’ve always had bad relationship experiences. When you reach six months, you might be really excited and feel like you’ve actually achieved something.
The truth is, you’ve just met someone with whom you’ve reached this point, it doesn’t mean you’re winning at life. By thinking that way, you’re placing blame on yourself for it not working out before. It probably wasn’t your fault at all.
Instead, smile about the milestone but look forward to what’s to come instead. Jumping up and down on a special date like this isn’t really necessary. [Read: 15 relationship milestones and dating highlights you should be proud of]
5. Try to develop a ‘what will be, will be’ mindset
For sure, a six months relationship should bring you some comfort. By that point, you should know this person pretty well and you may have a sense of whether you see yourself sticking with them over the long-term or not.
But, maybe you still have doubts and that’s okay.
Try to see this as a fun date to celebrate but be pragmatic about everything else. Maybe you’ll be together for the rest of your days, maybe you won’t, but surely the fun part is finding out?
Just enjoy it for what it is
Some people freak out and run when they realize that they’ve been in a relationship for a semi-long time. While six months might not seem much, it is half a year. For some, the whole milestone freaks them out, and they panic. [Read: Commitment phobia – 15 signs you’re just not ready to commit]
Now we think if someone is going to run away when you say “Wow, can you believe we’ve been together six months,” you’re better off without them.
However, we can totally understand why they might feel suffocated and pressured if you take that easy-going comment and turn it into a “so, when are we getting married?” or “my friend and her partner were living together by six months.”
Do not measure your six month anniversary progress points by those of your friends. We all have our own journey, with our own timeline, and our own successes and failures.
That is what makes life and relationships so much fun, although you probably won’t agree at the time!
[Read: The 25 best half year anniversary date ideas and 100+ romantic date ideas]
What does the six month anniversary mean? It means you’ve been together six months. That’s literally it! If you can keep it light and celebrate the fact you’ve come this far, who knows, maybe in six months more you’ll be celebrating a one year anniversary!
