When Is The Right Time To Walk Away From A Relationship?

‘Don’t walk away boy/ My love won’t hurt you’. You might recognise this lyric from the 1992 song by Jade, it is a lyric (not in the context of the actual song) that I feel is relevant to this article. Relationships can be beautiful, nothing can beat the initial flowering of one and the process of falling for one another – the warmth of which continues through into the honeymoon phase and beyond. However, not all relationships work out long-term and it is important to recognise ‘when’ it is the right time to walk away from a relationship. To return to the opening lyric, when a relationship becomes emotionally toxic in the sense that someone you love is causing you hurt and pain, then you know it’s time to walk away. The exact moment ‘when’ can be hard to define and people often stay together for fear of being single, or that they won’t find someone else. So they simply settle even if they’re unhappy. What will follow is a list of signs to help identify the right time to walk away from a relationship, and to help you break out of this very cycle:

1. You feel lonely despite being in a relationship.

Your partner should be your best friend as well as someone you love and want to be romantically involved with. You should feel like you can tell them anything and everything, and that you can do anything together- you will never be lost for company or for support. However, you know it’s the right time to walk away from a relationship if you feel like you’re alone. If you feel empty inside and cannot shake this feeling, this is a true sign that things should end, or if you try talk to your partner about your feelings and you don’t feel comforted. You should realise at this point that your partner doesn’t have your back anymore and you can’t go on like this.

2. You don’t feel respected in your relationship.

A relationship is an equal partnership, you and your partner should view one another as worthy of each other’s love and attention. However, if you feel like your partner takes you for granted or that they try to belittle or put you down, then this is the right time to walk away from a relationship no matter how much love once existed between both of you. You shouldn’t have to fight to be heard or to express your feelings. You should be made to feel wanted and like everything you say matters. Patronising behaviour can also be a sign of abuse and any form of abuse be it emotional, physical, or mental is a sure sign that you should walk away from a relationship.

3. You no longer recognise your partner.

It’s inevitable that people change over time and that couples can grow closer together or further apart. However, if you realise that your partner has changed dramatically since the first time you met them, so much so that you no longer have anything in common with them, or that you don’t like the person they have become, then this would be the right time to end your relationship.

4. Your relationship is stuck in a never-ending rut.

We are all guilty of taking our partners for granted at some point throughout our relationship, we get too comfortable around them and might forget to do little gestures to show we still care, or tell them we love them. However, if you find you have slipped into a monotonous routine with your partner and it is boring, or if you are constantly trying to talk or work through the same issues but to no avail, then you know it is the right time to walk away from a relationship. It isn’t fair on both of you, you both deserve better and the chance to be happy rather than resent and feel bitterness towards one another.

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5. You live in the past.

If you have to resort to thinking about things you and your partner done in the past in order to be happy, then it might be the right time to walk away from a relationship. You should see a future with your partner as well as savouring memories of the past. Move on if you find yourself reminiscing.

6. You have a gut feeling.

If deep down you know something isn’t right in your relationship, then listen to your gut. Don’t try to repress your doubt or convince yourself that things will get better because they won’t. You shouldn’t have to try to justify or defend your relationship to yourself or to other people.

So there you have it, a list of signs when it is the right time to walk away from a relationship. Can you think of any more? If so, then answer in the comment section below.

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