How To Know If You're In A Serious Relationship

These days, it seems like people aren't simply dating in the traditional sense. They're either hanging out, hooking up, seeing someone, exclusive with someone, or seriously dating, among other nuanced relationship statuses. But if the spectrum between single and committed keeps growing, how's a person to know when things move beyond casual? Luckily, results of a recent survey suggest that there's a moment in relationships when most people believe things have gotten serious.

Related: Should You Keep Dating Someone Who Doesn’t Give You Butterflies?The survey, from U.K.-based relationship support organization Relate, found that 50% of its 6,000 respondents reported that a relationship is "serious" when partners share their problems with each other. In fact, communicating about hardships beat out dating exclusively and even marriage for the top marker of serious commitment. Sure, traditional milestones like marriage still seem to be important to people, but fortunately, it seems that labels don't carry as much weight as the actual quality of relationships.

Related: One Guy Shares The Worst First Dates He Went On In 2015If you ever have doubts about where you stand in your relationship, try talking it out with your partner. As much as people fear The Talk, communicating about this issue could very well be what sets you on track for a healthy"serious" relationship.

Click through to Women's Health for more relationship tips and advice. (Women's Health)

Related: How My Cancer Diagnosis Altered My Relationship

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

8 Photos Take You Into The Surprising World Of Phone-Sex Operators

3 Reasons Cuddling Could Be Good For Your Health

Is It Time To Break Up With Your Best Friend?