How do I know if I'm ready for mature love?

Mature love is built on a strong sense of self. Before seeking a partner, focus on self-love, hobbies and passions. You should be comfortable with yourself and not look to a relationship to complete you.

I've been hurt before. How can I trust again and build a mature relationship?

Mature love involves understanding and accepting each other's flaws. It requires open communication, empathy and giving each other space to be yourselves. Focus on building trust by being authentic and communicating effectively.

What are the signs of a mature and healthy relationship?

In mature love, communication is open and honest. Both partners feel free to express their feelings and needs. Compromise comes naturally, with both parties willing to meet halfway.

I'm looking for a serious relationship. How can I find a partner who is also looking for mature love?

Look for someone who shares your values and is also looking for a committed, long-term relationship. Be open and honest about your intentions from the start. This may involve having conversations about your desire for marriage and family. While the source doesn't explicitly mention these topics, they are implied in the context of mature love.

What are some tips for maintaining a mature and lasting relationship?

To maintain mature love, nurture your relationship by continuously working on communication and understanding. Regularly express appreciation for each other and make an effort to understand each other's love languages.

This Is What Mature Love Is Like

A collage of photos and illustrations showing mature love — Mature love takes time to bloom, but it’s worth the wait.

Some beautiful romances end before they can fully blossom because couples aren't equipped to handle the ups and downs of their relationship. They lack the necessary maturity to keep it up and running.

With that, many questions may come to mind. What is mature love? What does it feel like? How can a couple attain and maintain this?

What Does Mature Love Mean?

Love is hard to simplify because of its complexity. But here's a solid case to make a distinction of this type.

Emotional intelligence is the main cog in your relationship engine. It’s a building block, allowing both parties to navigate the complexity with empathy and grace.

Mature love is when both parties develop and maintain a deep understanding of each other—flaws and all. Their communication is like a well-oiled machine. They freely express their feelings and their needs.

Compromise is a non-issue. Both parties willingly meet halfway to keep their relationship flowing. You won’t see anyone begrudgingly do anything because both are all-in.

hat Does Mature Love Feel Like?

Your feelings go beyond attraction. Think of them as well-aged wines. Such love is more nuanced than infatuation because it’s had time to develop.

Thanks to that growth, love is freeing. Since feelings go beyond infatuation, both parties don’t keep up appearances to look attractive. You and your partner freely show your most authentic selves because you know each other inside out.

And since you fully understand each other, you don’t hang on to impossible ideals. Neither of you puts the other on a pedestal, and you don’t dwell on “what could be.” Instead, you embrace the present, accepting each other as you are in the moment.

You know you can mess up sometimes, so you give each other room for mistakes. You both hold yourselves accountable for your actions while extending grace to each other.

How to Make (and Keep) Your Love Mature

Up your relationship’s maturity by taking these steps:

#1: Build (and maintain) a strong sense of self

Maturity begins with you. As cliche as this sounds, we can’t love others if we don’t love ourselves first.

A relationship isn’t an excuse to skimp on me-time. Make room for things that fulfill you. Hobbies and passions don’t need to die for your relationship. Let this be a friendly reminder that they can coexist.

#2: Withhold your judgment as much as possible

You may have your opinions, and you're free to share them. However, you don’t need to air out everything, especially if it's hurtful. Instead of judging each other’s actions and decisions, view each other through an empathetic and compassionate lens.