The beginning of a new relationship is a great time. High on NRE, or New Relationship Energy, you feel like everything is perfect, and the other person is perfect for you. Usually little to no conflict, and the sex is amazing. What could possibly go wrong? NRE is the phase in which hormones are raging and making you feel like you're in love and in lust with this person.
On average, it lasts around six months, but it can last anywhere from a couple months up to a couple of years, depending on the people involved, the type of relationship, and how often they see each other.
In this time, you're often feeling the thrill of a new romantic and sexual connection, and usually have great chemistry besides that. The majority of long-term relationships go through an NRE phase, and it's not in and of itself a bad thing. The problem arises when some very common mistakes are made that can end up costing you the new relationship, or more. This is by far one of the most common mistakes people make when wrapped up in NRE for the first time.
Most people got through this stage in their first relationship in their teens, but seem to go through it again when they start practicing polyamory. Especially if they're in an existing long-term relationship, it's easy to forget what those first few months of raging hormones feels like.
Because of this, it's easy to get lost in the feeling of being head-over-heels for each other, and forget about reasonable time frames. For example, there's no rule that says you can't say "I love you" a week into a new relationship, but you might want to consider what you actually mean by that. Part of moving too fast is thinking that you've instantly fallen in love with someone, and feeling like they're your long lost soulmate. In truth, you're swimming in hormones that make this person seem like the greatest person on earth, and they may well be, but you don't actually know that yet.
