How to Know When to Break Up

While in a relationship, sometimes your perspective gets skewed, so it can be challenging to know when you're better off ending it instead of waiting or trying to change. By using these steps as a guide, you can better determine when things aren't working and it's time to move on. Since the issue is highly subjective, it's imperative to use your best judgment.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Leave at the first sign of physical, sexual or emotional abuse. There is no excuse for someone abusing you. If you stay in the relationship to see if it happens again, justifying it was "just this one time," you're already stuck in an abusive mindset. Require more for yourself and end it right away.
2. Determine if the problems and questions you're having now were present in previous relationships. If they were, it's likely that something needs to change within you, not the other person. Discover what you need to change and decide whether you need to be alone to reset your relational patterns.
3. Think about whether the other person is an asset to your life or puts you in deficit from where you would be if you were single. This is an all-encompassing concept, and you should examine many areas before making the decision about where he stands. If he isn't adding to your life, you should break up with him.
4. Break up when you discover that the other person doesn't have the same life goals as you. Things like whether she wants to have children are non-negotiable, and you shouldn't wait around for her to change her mind. There is someone out there you won't have to convince to see things your way or who wants the same things in life that you do. Leave if you feel like you're settling for less.