5 Common Traits of a Cheating Spouse

The idea that your partner could be cheating on you is probably enough to make you stop dead in your tracks and feel short of breath. Nobody wants to be cheated on, and if you’re in a relationship, you probably don’t want to confront your partner or have a very difficult discussion either.

If you suspect your partner might be cheating though, there are some common issues that you can look out for. Check for these five common signs of a cheating spouse if you’re worried that your partner may be having an affair.

1. Less Interest in Home Life

When a spouse is cheating, becoming less interested in the things you normally enjoyed at home is common. For example, cooking a romantic dinner together, watching a movie or even playing with your children may be of less interest to somebody who is cheating.

In many cases, cheating partners will spend less time doing these things and do them with less enthusiasm. Often, a cheating partner will prefer alone time where they once enjoyed the company of their spouse or family.

2. Moody Behavior

Cheating brings up a lot of different emotions in different people. For some, cheating can create guilt and anxiety, leading them to be quite moody, even with the partner they are cheating on.

Of course, moody behavior can also be a sign of stress at work or general unhappiness with their professional or home life. Still, increased negativity and moody behavior can be a sign that they resent the relationship and the guilt they’re forced to feel because they’re cheating.

This guilt is often taken out on the spouse who is the victim of cheating.

3. Lack of Affection

Maintaining affection in two relationships is very difficult, and for most people, it can be hard to attend to their spouse when wrapped up in an affair. If your partner doesn’t have much interest in sex, this should be a major tip-off, especially if your sex life was normal before.

Even smaller means of affection like holding hands or saying I love you often suffer. If your partner seems withdrawn and like they don’t want your affection either, a relationship outside of the home could be responsible.

4. Your Partner is Defensive

When you’re in a long-term relationship it’s pretty normal to ask your spouse about their day, what they had for lunch, what their plans for the weekend are, and a whole host of other questions. Most people don’t think of this as an invasion of privacy – at least they don’t if they’re not hiding something.

A partner that’s having an affair outside of the relationship may become defensive though, even when you’re only asking them reasonable, normal questions. A spouse that refuses to answer or can’t answer when you ask them about an event or upcoming plans may also be hiding or something or leaving room to see somebody outside of the relationship.

5. Your Spouse is Rarely Home

It might seem obvious, but if your spouse is rarely around the house, there’s a fair chance that they could be having a relationship other than yours. A busy work schedule or uptick in time spent on a hobby could be to blame, but if your spouse can’t account for time away from home, it could be because of cheating.

Ambivalence or inability to tell you where they were when away from the house is also a common sign of cheating. Believe it or not, many people don’t come up with elaborate stories to cover their tracks when cheating on their spouse.