We all do little things that annoy our partners; however, certain habits can be really problematic in relationships. If these aren’t caught early on, they could even lead to a breakup, so take note of these 18 habits you should avoid for a healthier relationship.
Being on Your Phone All the Time

Smartphones have become a huge part of our everyday lives, but they’re also pretty addictive—it’s so easy to get stuck scrolling for hours. A recent study published in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour even found that this addiction can increase arguments and decrease intimacy in relationships!
Forgetting Birthdays and Special Occasions

Forgetting your partner’s birthday or relationship milestones will demonstrate that the relationship isn’t a high priority for you. Eventually, this will likely lead to arguments and resentment, with your partner feeling abandoned. There’s an easy fix: get those dates written in the calendar and set a reminder to buy a card or gift!
Hiding Messages

If you’re receiving messages that you’re deliberately hiding from your partner, regardless of who they’re from, this is a habit that needs to stop. If you don’t want to share these messages with your significant other, you might need to ask yourself why and come clean.
Not Replying to Your Partner’s Messages

If it consistently takes you longer than eight hours to reply to your partner’s messages, this will probably start to strain your relationship. Not only does it show your partner that they’re not important to you, but it also suggests you always have something better to do than talk to them.
Choosing to Blame Instead of Listen

Developing a healthy conflict style is crucial in relationships; after all, any relationship will have disagreements, so it’s how they’re managed that’s important. Verywell Mind explains that blaming your partner instead of listening to their perspective can seriously damage your relationship, so be the bigger person and open your ears!
Calling Your Partner Names

If you frequently call your partner hurtful names during arguments or make negative comments about their appearance, this is, unsurprisingly, a highly damaging relationship habit. Words stay with partners for a long time after they are said, and name-calling will cause feelings of negativity and resentment over time.
Not Apologizing

Sometimes, it’s hard to accept that we are wrong, but if you never acknowledge when you’ve made a mistake, you’ll cause significant damage to your relationships. According to Psychology Today, an apology can show a desire to grow and improve and respect for a partner, but only if it’s sincere.
Threatening to Break Up

Emotional threats, such as the threat of breaking up, cause irreparable damage to relationships. They destroy trust, which can be difficult to rebuild. If you know that you make such threats, you need to work on strategies to prevent this from happening—like knowing when to ask for a timeout.
Forgetting Household Chores

Living with a partner means there will be plenty of household chores, so if your significant other picks up all the slack in this department, your habits need to change quickly. Even if they manage the cleaning or cooking ok on their own, it doesn’t mean that they’re happy with this arrangement.
Canceling Plans

Do you often find yourself canceling plans with your partner? If this happens once or twice, that’s understandable, but if it’s an ongoing habit, you’re showing your partner that they’re not a priority to you. If you really do have to cancel, you should acknowledge your mistake and organize a date to reschedule.
Comparing Your Relationship

These days, social media makes it easy to compare our relationships and our partners to others, which can lead to us holding impossibly high standards and feeling bitter. Unsurprisingly, this can damage our relationships. If you frequently compare your relationship to others, try to look inward and appreciate everything you have.
Holding Grudges

If you hold grudges and bring up past hurts every time you and your partner have a disagreement, this will inevitably lead to problems. This habit will cause a lack of trust between you both, stemming from a breakdown of communication. Just let it go and move on!
Keeping Secrets

If you constantly keep secrets from your partner, you need to ask yourself why; that’s not normal or healthy! Not only will this kind of habit ruin trust in relationships, but it also shows a lack of respect for the other person.
Overspending

Long-term couples need to be prepared to share their spending habits and financial history. The BBC refers to hiding such information as “financial infidelity,” which can be highly damaging. If you have a habit of overspending or hiding money issues from your partner, it’s time to have a conversation about it.
Using Screens Instead of Talking

It’s normal to want to relax in front of the television at the end of a long day. However, making this a consistent habit can result in a lack of communication, intimacy, and creativity between partners. Try to switch off the screens once in a while and make time to talk!
Going Silent

Ah, the silent treatment–something we’ve all experienced at least once in our lives. If you make a habit of going silent whenever you have an argument or disagreement with your partner, this could be driving you apart. Finding healthier ways to communicate is key to a successful relationship.
Getting Stuck in a Rut

If you’ve been with your partner for a while, you probably both have your set routines and habits. However, sticking to these for months or even years on end can cause the relationship to stagnate, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction and a lack of fulfillment. Why not try switching up your routines?
Always Trying to Win Arguments

Finally, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that Forbes reports that trying to win arguments with your partner is never smart. Instead, both partners should always be on the same side, even when arguing, with a desire to hear and understand each other. This should be the focus, rather than coming out of the disagreement as the ‘winner.’
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