How To Take A Break From A Relationship

All relationships inevitably face some bumps in the road, and while some couples are able to work through their issues quickly, others may need a significant amount of time to get things back on track.

Taking a relationship break can easily be the best thing for your relationship — or finally give you the clarity you need to end things once and for all. However, in order to effectively take a relationship time-out, there are a few things you should know and do to ensure that both parties are on the same page.

Discuss Why It’s Happening

Before you embark on your relationship break, you and your partner need to sit down and discuss why it’s happening in the first place. Put all your issues with each other out on the table so that there is no confusion or assumptions.

This also allows you to really voice the things that you are unhappy with and what you want to change without (hopefully) creating a whole set of new issues in your relationship that you have to overcome.

Set An Agreed Upon Time-Frame

Now this is a bit tricky. Some agree that setting a time-frame for a relationship break to end is a respectful and productive way to function; however, there are also others who feel that putting a time limit on things increases expectations and assumptions that the relationship will definitely begin again.

In order to navigate through this tricky step, you and your partner should sit down and discuss how you feel about having an agreed upon time-frame. If one party is totally against it, maybe you should reconsider the terms.

Be Honest About Your Intentions

Honesty is one of the most important things in a relationship and also one of the things that can signal the end of a union when there isn’t enough of it. From the very start, you should be completely honest about your intentions for taking a break from your relationship. Are you doing it because you just need some space? Do you want to explore what’s out there by dating others? Want to focus more on your career? Whatever the reason is, lay it all out at once so that your partner doesn’t feel deceived or manipulated into taking a break for your own shady reasons.

End Communication

This one hurts and can be pretty tough to execute, but in order to have a productive relationship break you need to end all communication, otherwise, you’re not truly taking a break from things at all.

While it may be hard, resist the urge to send text messages or pics when you’re feeling lonely, don’t go on a social media liking or commenting spree on all of their posts and definitely don’t call them just to hear their voice. No communication means just that.

Fill Your Life With New Interests

Now that you’ve decided to take a break from your relationship you have a lot more free time to explore other interests. This is the perfect time to take up something new or dive back into something that got put on the back burner once you got into a relationship.

Keeping your mind and body occupied is also a great way to get your mind off of your relationship break. Whatever you’re feeling, sadness, happiness, loneliness, freedom, channel that energy into your new hobbies.

Discuss Seeing Other People — Or Not

If there is one issue in a relationship break that can cause major problems, it’s this one. No one wants to hear that their partner wants to take a break from things to date other people, so it’s understandable that this issue is met with hostility. That’s also why it’s important for both of you to sit down and decide if you’re going to use your break to see what else is out there. It’s better to admit that’s what you want to do now than to have the other party find out you’re doing it behind their back.

Understand That Taking A Break Could Lead To A Break-Up

As heartbreaking as it may be, you must face the reality that taking a break could mean a total break up. Yes, there are many relationships that have hit the pause button and come back together stronger than ever, but there are also plenty that never made it past the break. You should go into your break with the mindset that this could be final so you aren’t devastated if and when that time comes.

Take The Time To Indulge In Self-Care

Breaking off a relationship, even for a little while, can often be a stressful thing. However, using your newly inherited free time is the opportune time to indulge in plenty of self-care. Take a vacation, make regular trips to the spa, embrace meditation, sign-up for a class, whatever your version of self-care looks like, now is the time to take advantage of it as much as possible and be totally selfish with yourself.

Ask Yourself The Tough Questions

While you’re on a break, you will reach a point when you have to ask yourself some very tough questions regarding your relationship, questions that you may not be emotionally ready for. Are you a better person without this relationship? Do you see yourself in it long-term? Is the love and respect still there? Are you happier without them? These are just a few of the questions you should ask yourself before you decide to resume your relationship.

Decide If You Want The Relationship To Continue

This is the final act of the relationship and determines everything. You can both sit down together and discuss this or you can come to the decision on your own, either way you have to decide if you want to continue or move on.

If you realize that after the break you want to give your relationship another try and your partner agrees, then you’ve hit the jackpot. However, you need to prepare yourself for the fact that things could end because one or both of you decided that it was time to move on.