Love doesn’t always last forever no matter how much you want it to. Sometimes you can tell that’s something’s not right with your relationship but can’t figure out if you’re supposed to keep working on it or call the time of death. If you’re noticing these signs, you’ve arrived at the end of the relationship and it’s time to get out.
- You feel duty-bound to remain with your partner. When you’ve been with a person for a long time, they become a part of your identity. Even though you’re no longer happy, you just keep pouring more time into the relationship because walking away means starting afresh with someone else. Relationships aren’t meant to be endured. If you’re doing that, it’s not worth your time.
- You’re terrified of asking for more. Open communication is key to a healthy relationship. If you’re worried that your partner might leave you or think you’re needy for asking for what you want, that’s not a good thing. You shouldn’t have to swallow your needs or feelings around your partner. If this fear is keeping you from being happy and satisfied, it might be time to say goodbye.
- You’re looking to others to fill your emotional needs. It’s wonderful to have friends and acquaintances that you can count on and share your troubles with, but when you constantly turn to third parties for emotional support instead of your partner, that’s a sign that things are not right. It might be that you don’t feel heard when you confide in your partner or you don’t believe you can trust them with your feelings.
- You’re the only one making sacrifices. It’s normal to make compromises and sacrifice some things for the good of the relationship. Maybe it’s not taking a better-paying job in a different city so you can be close to your partner. Or it’s you letting them decide date night activities. If you keep giving and giving, but your partner shows no interest in meeting you halfway, you might as well part ways now before resentment set in.
- You no longer bother to put in an effort. Did you love planning hangouts with your partner, but you’re too exhausted to even try now? Have you stopped caring about how your partner’s day went? Are conversions getting harder to initiate? Are you just agreeing with whatever your partner says because you don’t care enough to argue anymore? This could mean you’re no longer interested in the relationship, so why stay?
- You’re seriously daydreaming about other people. It’s normal to fantasize about someone other than your partner. When it goes from an occasional dreamy escape to constant daydreams about being single and dating other people, your relationship is on its last legs. You’ve already begun detaching emotionally from your partner. You can choose to sort through your feelings and fix the root cause or call it quits.
- You don’t like who you are with your partner. Maybe your partner brings out a side of you that you don’t recognize or like very much. If you feel like you can’t be yourself around your partner, or that you’re sacrificing too much of who you are to be with them, that might be a sign that the relationship is unhealthy for you.
- The fights are getting more frequent and intense. Arguments are commonplace in a relationship. They can be a healthy outlet for discussing and resolving issues. But when trivial things start causing huge explosions and you’re always picking fights with each other, that’s a sign that the relationship has gone sour. All you’re doing is trying to hurt and push each other away.
- Their habits start to annoy you. In the beginning, almost everything about your partner makes you love them more. You don’t notice their shortcomings and when you do, you think they’re cute and eccentric. But now, those same shortcomings irritate you. Their jokes stop being funny. The things you used to love now grate your nerves. If you’re at this point, you might be better off alone.
- You’ve stopped making future plans together. In a loving, healthy, and committed relationship, both partners should be weaving their future together. Your plans for what’s to come should be aligned. You should be excited to talk about all the things you want to do together down the road. When this conversation starts filling you with more dread than happiness, that could indicate that it’s time to let go.
