Change is inevitable when it comes to being in a long-term relationship.

Physically, mentally or even the dynamics of your relationship. It can never be the same as it was in the initial stages of the relationship.

According to author of “Powers of Two” Joshua Wolf Shenk, these are the five things that are bound to happen to couples in long-term relationships.

1.No more self-censoring

Getting comfortable with one another after being in a relationship for a long time is nothing new. While you may have hidden certain embarrassing characteristics of yours from your partner in the beginning, after some time you get a little bit more fluid in sharing even the most cringe-worthy things about you.

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2.You start to sound alike

Psychologists say that two people who spend a lot of time together start to match each other’s speech patterns. From their accents to even the amount and length of pauses that they put into their words or sentences.

The phenomenon is known as emotional contagion.

To make things even more weird, a 2010 study of language suggested that emotional contagion could help determine how long a couple could stay together.

From their findings, couples that mimicked each other’s words and language structure were more likely to still be dating three months later.

3.You start to look alike

Psychologists call it “shared coordinative structure” which basically means that couples harmonize their gaze, body sway, mannerisms and idiosyncrasies which leads to many couples to look alike and move alike.

4.You develop your own language with your partner

There’s an inside language that a lot of long-term couples eventually develop over time.

The inside language can be through having special nicknames for one another or inside jokes that only the two of you would understand.