How to Know When You Are Exclusive & Monogamous in a Relationship

Perhaps you've gone out with that special someone more than a handful of times, but you're unsure if the two of you are still testing each other out or if you're already in an exclusive and monogamous relationship. While you'll find it most helpful to have a frank discussion with your sweetie to discuss the relationship boundaries, there are some signs that indicate things are getting serious. Knowing what these signs are can help you determine where you stand, perhaps reducing relationship anxiety.

One of the primary factors to consider is what sort of effort you're putting into your relationship. In the early dating stages, you generally put your best foot forward, work on getting to know the other person and try to keep your dates lively. When you move into committed relationship territory, however, you begin to naturally put efforts into the union itself, such as communicating your feelings and making your trust and respect for the other person obvious. You're displaying the typical signs of a committed, healthy relationship when you both keep your individual identities while talking things out and lending each other encouragement, according to the TeensHealth website. On a social level, if you attend parties, events and holiday celebrations together and are getting to know each other’s friends and families better, you are likely either in, or moving toward, an exclusive relationship, notes Heather Setrakian, M.A. in the eHarmony article, “When Do You Know If Your Relationship Is Exclusive (Without Asking)?”