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It’s often assumed that the first year of a relationship is the easiest to navigate; however, some would argue that the first year is actually one of the more difficult stages of a relationship. According to a study by Stanford sociologist Michael Rosenfeld, 70 percent of unmarried relationships end during the first year. The same study found that after five years, couples only had a 20 percent chance of breaking up and that number continues to shrink after couples make it to their 10-year anniversary, thus proving that year one of a relationship is no walk in the park like we’ve been led to believe. So exactly what is it about that first year that makes it so difficult? Continue reading to find out.

There’s still some residue from the last relationship

Whether your last relationship ended five years ago or five months ago, it’s likely that some remnants of what you’ve been through will resurface during the first year of a new relationship.

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