If you’ve just come out of a relationship, the last thing you want to deal with is the feeling of being unwanted and alone. To avoid these feelings, many end up in a rebound relationship. But if you’re in a rebound, you may have wondered how long does the honeymoon phase of a rebound last?
As a general rule, the honeymoon phase of a rebound relationship typically lasts between two to six weeks. However, in rare cases, it can last for a few months before the high of the new relationship begins to disappear.
But of course, a few of these actually do make the long haul.
If you want to know what happens during the honeymoon period of a rebound and when this period starts to fade away, keep reading. I’ll also touch on signs that a rebound relationship will fail, and how to make it work.
When Does the Honeymoon Period in a Rebound Fade Away?
You may feel like life is all about sunshine and rainbows at the beginning of a rebound relationship. You and your new partner are all lovey-dovey, and there are no fights, no disagreements. Your partner takes an interest in your life and is truly invested in the relationship.
Everything feels perfect.
At this stage, you may even forget the pain of your recent breakup and your ex for a while. And why not? You’re finally with someone who seems to come close to your idea of the ideal partner.
You can envision a happy life with them. It makes sense that you don’t want to remember the details that hurt you and make you sad.
However, you’ll eventually be forced to face the reality of this new relationship and the new partner, and the idea of this perfect life will start to dissipate.
The honeymoon period in a rebound fades away when you have your first conflict or fight with this perfect person. Suddenly, the cracks begin to appear, and the new partner doesn’t seem so perfect anymore.
While the first conflict might shake your confidence in the relationship a bit, it’s unlikely that the honeymoon period of this relationship will end after this fight.
Chances are you’re probably still on cloud nine and think of this fight as an anomaly. After all, no relationship is perfect, and you should be able to iron out the kinks in time. You’re hopeful things will get back the way they were before the conflict.
That’s until you have the next fight. And then the next. Every subsequent disagreement after the first one acts as a catalyst and pushes you to reconsider your relationship with this new person.
Eventually, you’ll have no choice but to take a long, hard look at your relationship. Often, this marks the beginning of the end of the honeymoon period of the rebound.
I still recall a rebound I had after the end of a long-term relationship back around the year 2000.
Initially, the rebound felt magical; especially on the heels of my dysfunctional relationship that had just come to an abrupt end after finding out my ex had feelings for, and acted on them to a degree, with the married brother of my best friend.
But after only a couple of months, that bliss I was feeling for the rebound was all but gone; as fast as the feelings had come on.
By month 3, everything just felt wrong; through no real fault of hers.
What Usually Happens During the Honeymoon Phase in a Rebound Relationship?
To understand what happens during the honeymoon period in a rebound relationship, I need to discuss what can be the possible motivation behind a person getting into a rebound. In many cases, the reason for getting into a rebound can make or break that relationship.
Dealing with a breakup of any sort — the end of a long-term relationship, an engagement, or marriage — can be challenging.
It leaves a person unsure about the future and wondering if they’re good enough for anyone. No one likes to feel insecure and unwanted, and some people jump into a rebound relationship to get validation that they’re still attractive and desirable.
Besides, the end of the relationship leaves a void in a person’s life.
Even if they were in a toxic relationship or weren’t compatible with the ex, there’s a good chance they still feel some kind of emptiness in their life. This void exists because the psychological attachment they shared with that person is gone with the end of the relationship.
Many people get into a rebound to escape this feeling of pain and loneliness.
In some cases, people get into a rebound relationship to make their ex jealous. They replace their ex with a new person to prove to the ex that they’re capable of having a good time even without them.
Let’s move on to the topic of the honeymoon period now. The honeymoon period is the most peaceful and happy period of any romantic association, and a rebound relationship is no exception.
The honeymoon phase in a rebound relationship involves a lot of passion, public display of affection, and physical intimacy. This period helps the rebounding person soothe their fears and feel good about themselves again.
The honeymoon period comprises a lot of touch, hand-holding, cuddles, kisses, and sex. The affection and attention of a new person boost the self-confidence of the rebounding person and help them feel attractive again.
Moreover, spending quality time with this new romantic interest and having fun takes the rebounding person’s mind off the negative feeling and helps them escape the void created by the breakup.
As mentioned earlier, some people feel the need to show off and make their ex jealous. What better way to do that than flaunting this new relationship online in the age of social media? They excessively post “happy couple” type content online to make their ex envious and possibly regretful for leaving them.
However, this display of a happy relationship isn’t always aimed at the ex. Society’s obsession with romance and marriage means a single person often becomes the object of pity for their friends and family. So when that single person gets into a new relationship, they flaunt it to convince those well-wishers that they’re happy.
More often than not, people choose to get into a rebound relationship with someone who is the opposite of their ex. So, if the ex was an introvert and there was a communication gap in the relationship, there’s a good chance the newly single person will choose to be in a relationship with an extrovert.
This new partner knows how to communicate and express what’s on their mind.
It saves the rebounding person from the trouble of guessing what’s going on with their partner, and they find it easy to be with this person. This difference in the partner’s personality, coupled with the euphoria of a new relationship, gives the rebounding person this illusion that they’ve found the perfect partner.
Conversely, some people get into a rebound relationship with someone who has some traits similar to their ex. It often happens unconsciously, and research has shown that the psychological attachment can transfer from the old partner to the new one in such cases.
Whether one happens to be in a rebound relationship with someone like their ex or a person who is the complete opposite of the ex, the honeymoon period does an excellent job of pushing away the anxiety and other negative emotions.
It also gives their mind something new and pleasant to think about.
Early Signs a Rebound Relationship Will Fail
If you do an internet search for the phrase “how long a rebound relationship lasts,” you’ll find different answers to the question.
Some people say it lasts between 2-4 months; some say 5.2 months, and some other sources claim it can last up to one year. While the consensus may vary, what everyone agrees on is the fact that rebound relationships generally don’t last long.
If you happen to be in the middle of the honeymoon period of a rebound relationship, you may feel a bit confused here. Right now, you feel happier than you’ve been in a long time and delighted with how this new relationship is shaping up.
However, at the same time, you may also feel concerned if the naysayers were right, and whether this beautiful bond you share with your new partner is doomed to fail.
While it’s impossible to predict the fate of any relationship with absolute certainty (rebound or otherwise) the questions below can give you an idea of what the future has in store for you.
- Can you confidently say that you’re not with this person just because you want to escape the void created by your breakup?
- If you didn’t want to make your ex jealous or get your well-wishers off your back, would you still be with this person?
- Are you actually over your ex and ready to move ahead with your life?
- Do you feel comfortable with the idea of introducing this person to your friends and family?
If you answer yes to most of these questions, kudos to you: You’re in the relationship for the right reason. There’s a good chance your bond with that person can blossom into something meaningful.
However, if your answers happen to be no for most of these questions, you’re rebounding for selfish reasons. You probably know that this relationship is all about your needs and wants.
A successful relationship is based on the principle of give and take. Since that isn’t the case for you, it’ll create an emotional imbalance that can eventually lead to the relationship’s failure.
Can I Make a Rebound Relationship Work?
If you realize that you’re rebounding for the wrong reasons, you probably feel a bit guilty now. The realization that another relationship will probably end as a failure might disappoint you. Luckily, you don’t have to write off your rebound just yet.
While most rebound relationships don’t last, a few do. If you like this person, see potential in this special bond you share with them, and are willing to devote time and effort, there is no reason your relationship can’t be for the long haul.
A rebound relationship can work if you approach it the right way. When you invest time to understand the new partner, develop a connection, and don’t treat them as a replacement for your ex, you increase the chance of making this relationship work.
Most rebound relationships fail because the connection is superficial, forced, and often has roots in lies. If you want yours to be successful, start by changing that.
First of all, come clean to your partner. If you haven’t done this already, let the partner know that you’re coming out of a relationship.
Some people don’t want to be in a rebound relationship, while others don’t care about it. In any case, you should inform them about your situation. Neither can you force anyone to choose you, nor do you want to build the foundation of your relationship upon a lie.
Next, make a real effort to know the person. What are their likes and dislikes? What are their quirks, and how do you feel about them?
During the honeymoon period, people usually see their partner through rose-tinted glasses. This is especially true in the case of a rebound relationship. Avoid doing that. Take time to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of your partner. Can you tolerate their shortcomings for a long period?
Figure out if your needs and wants from a relationship are compatible with your partner’s.
While it’s not necessary to decide everything during the honeymoon period, it’s always a good idea to know if you and this person agree on the important stuff in life. Do you want to get married or have kids someday? Does your partner feel the same way? If not, do you want to make compromises or move on?
You might be thinking this all sounds like what you do in a normal relationship. And that’s the point. Rebounds fail due to a lack of effort, understanding, and transparency. If you want to make it work, treat it as you would treat a normal relationship, and everything will be fine.
Conclusion
The honeymoon period of a rebound relationship usually lasts between two to six weeks, but sometimes it can last for a few months. During this period, there’s a lot of passion and physical attraction between the partners and a strong desire to spend time together.
This happy period of the relationship alleviates the pain of the breakup and helps the rebounding partner gain some lost confidence.
The decline of the honeymoon period starts after the first conflict, and with every subsequent disagreement, the idea of the perfect life with the new partner begins to fade.