If you feel your man is pulling away from you or seems distant, it might not be because he doesn’t care for you anymore. It could be because small mistakes you may not even realize you are making are pushing him away. Though innocent or unintentional, these mistakes can negatively affect your relationship and make your partner start distancing himself.
Read on to learn 12 things women do to push men away.
Micro-manage
Some women like to see and know things are happening exactly how they want. They constantly monitor, critique, and control their man’s actions to satisfy their need for perfection. For example, you continually criticize his dressing sense, question who he is going out with, or control his spending/diet. In that case, it can lead to feelings of frustration and incompetence in your partner. It can be off-putting for a man.
Try To Change Him
It’s one thing to want to help your man be the best. Helping him improve or become a better version of himself isn’t wrong at all. However, constantly nagging him for his lack of motivation and criticizing him, for example, for his dressing sense or the way he talks or walks at every turn, isn’t helpful. It can definitely drive him away.
Be Self-absorbed
Relationships are about give and take. If you only make it about yourself and your life, you are doing a great disservice to your man. If you only focus on meeting your needs and sharing the things that only interest you, your man might feel unwanted and unloved.
Be Suspicious
Some women have a habit of doubting their men. They constantly ask their men questions like what time they left work, how many women colleagues were at the office party, or go through their things and info to find out if their men are hiding things or cheating on them. Such behavior invades your man’s space and can be off-putting. Nurture an open and healthy relationship with your partner where you share important things.
Unable To Give Him Space
Loving someone and wanting to be near them is acceptable, but one should not come on too strongly. Everyone wants space from time to time, even your man does. If you are too clingy, he might feel suffocated. Recognize the need for ‘me time’ and respect his personal space. Give your partner a healthy dose of independence and privacy.
Fail To Celebrate Achievements
One of the highlights of any relationship is acknowledging and celebrating each other’s successes. If you ignore your partner’s success or downplay his achievements, he might feel unappreciated. This lack of recognition from your side might be a subtle way of pushing him away.
Compare Him To Other Men
Many women have this habit of comparing their men with their fathers, brothers, male colleagues, or even neighbors next door. It can be annoying for men to be constantly pitched against someone. For example, dropping subtle hints such as how your neighbor takes out the trash daily or clears the driveway, your father takes tea for your mom in bed, or how your colleagues help with the household chores is not how you do things. Constant comparison can kill your relationship. Talking openly and setting out expectations help much more here.
Be A Drama Queen
Seeing you sulk or throw a tantrum when things don’t go your way or when you seek attention can be entertaining for your partner once in a while. However, if this behavior is a regular feature in your relationship, it can lead to embarrassment for your partner, and he might start pulling out.
Get Emotionally Involved
It’s exciting to be in a new relationship and to know someone better; however, getting ahead of yourself and trying to make a new relationship mean more than it is can pose serious issues. Men generally don’t prefer clingy women, so if, on your third date, you bring up topics like marriage, children, and forever, that could be as disastrous as putting the nail in the coffin. No matter how strongly you feel about your partner or relationship, save these conversations for later once the relationship has matured.
Talk About The Ex
This one’s a complete relationship killer. If you bring up your exes or your past relationships, it will drive your man away. Your ex could have been sexier than Brad Pitt, more considerate than Keanu Reeves, or the epitome of style and grace. He is your ex for a reason; there is no need to drag him into your present.
Have Poor Communication
A relationship works when both partners express themselves openly and clearly. However, if a woman is uninterested in conversations or seems disengaged, it can lead to miscommunication and doubts. Hold regular discussions with your partner, express your feelings, and tell him what you like and don’t like about him—it will help strengthen your relationship and keep your man by your side.
Grumble About Everything
No man likes a whiner, especially if you always grumble about everything. Imagine sitting in a restaurant and complaining that your pasta is not the right consistency, the red wine tasted acidic, or the chef deliberately ruined your dessert; you are a complete party pooper. That’s how your man will see you. No man would want to be beside someone who does not have a single positive thing to say and feels the whole world is conspiring against them.