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The Surprising Reason Long-Term Relationships Fall Apart (and How to Prevent It)

Emotional distance can quietly pull couples apart. Experts explain why small moments of connection matter and how to keep the spark alive.

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Most relationships don’t end with a slamming door. Sometimes they end on a random night, with two people sitting ten feet apart and realizing they haven’t had a real conversation in weeks. That’s the one that gets far less attention.

Midlife seems to be when many people start looking at their relationships a little differently. A 2026 Body Soul Sex Census found that more than two-thirds of Australians think people regularly reassess their relationships during this stage of life. Seventy-seven percent of women and 69% of men also said personal growth can create distance between partners.

And when long-term relationships did end, the reasons were pretty ordinary: people felt less emotionally connected, communication got worse, or they simply grew apart.........

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