14 Signs He’s Trying To Push You Away And Why You Should Walk Away First

Sometimes guys don’t tell you that they want to break up. Annoyingly, they do small things instead to make you want to end things. Cowards! What’s even worse is that these hints can be easy to miss. If you notice any of these signs that he’s trying to push you away, don’t let him. Instead, get yourself together and get out before it happens.

  1. He tells you that you deserve better. Instead of trying to boost his self-confidence by telling him that he’s awesome, take the hint that he’s saying you should date someone else. After all, he’s obviously right.
  2. He’s suddenly going through a rough patch. He seems to need your sympathy more and more lately, but he never used to be this way. Worse, he’s now using this rough patch he’s going through as a way not to spend time with you. For example, he might say that he’s so stressed out by his crappy job that he just wants to be alone this weekend. Yeah, whatever. And there you are feeling sorry for the loser.
  3. He cancels dates at the last moment. It’s a clear disrespect of your time, but you might write it down to his busy day or some other stress he’s going through, which is why you might not see it as a sign he’s slipping away.
  4. It’s a mission to get hold of him. He never seems to answer your texts or calls with the same enthusiasm he used to. It takes him ages to get back to you if he bothers to get in touch with you at all. No thanks.
  5. Making up after a fight doesn’t happen. In the past when you’d fight, he’d be quick to make up and resolve things so you could move on with a clean slate. Now, he doesn’t seem to care about that. It’s like he just walks away from the fight without really caring about the consequences.
  6. He’s become vague. He’s not quite as open about his feelings and life as he used to be. Sometimes it feels like you need to ask him a million questions to get one clear, straight answer out of him.
  7. He doesn’t give you the best sex of your life. He still wants to have sex with you, but it’s just not the same as it used to be. This could be because he’s not paying as much attention to your needs as he used to. If he’s becoming selfish in bed all of a sudden, there’s probably a reason outside of the bedroom for it.
  8. He makes you feel guilty. Lately it seems like he wants you to feel guilty for so many things. For example, he’ll point out that your co-worker was flirting with you because you’re too friendly with other guys. Meanwhile, you know in your heart he’s just overreacting. Could he be trying to piss you off so you walk away?
  9. He makes crazy demands of you. He might be trying to manipulate you by asking you to do something for him that he knows you can’t do. This might be something small, like picking up his laundry even though you’ve got a busy day at work. Or something bigger, like going with him to Europe when he knows you can’t leave your other obligations. When you can’t satisfy his demands, he’ll use it against you, turning you into the bad guy. Sneaky.
  10. He uses alone time to hang out with other people. He wants to be alone tonight because he’s so tired/feeling ill, but then you log onto social media and see that his friend has tagged him at the pub. He then tells you that his friend really needed him, or some other sob story. SMH.
  11. He “forgets” important dates. If your anniversary rolls around and he forgets, even though he always made it special, it’s a huge sign that he’s selfish and not thinking of you as much as he used to. Same goes for how he “forgets” that you had plans this weekend or had booked a mini-getaway at the coast for next month.
  12. Small acts of affection have dried up. He doesn’t call you by the pet name he always used to. Or, he doesn’t tell you he loves you anymore. When you ask him about the change, he might behave like you’re being petty, but you know that a loss of the affectionate words you used to save for each other can’t be a good thing. Something’s up.
  13. He needs his stuff back. Remember that t-shirt he left at your place weeks ago, or the toolbox he said was more convenient to keep at your home because he’s always spending time with you? If he’s suddenly insisting that he needs his items back, it’s a sign that he’s pulling himself further away from you, slowly but surely.
  14. He’s making changes. It’s fine if he’s making important life changes and telling you about them, but things become dodgy if he’s going ahead with taking job or travel opportunities without really factoring you into the decisions. Yikes. Not only is he jet-setting to another country, but he’s trying to fly out of your relationship.
Giulia Simolo is a writer from Johannesburg, South Africa with a degree in English Language and Literature. She has been working as a journalist for more than a decade, writing for sites including AskMen, Native Interiors, and Live Eco. You can find out more about her on Facebook and LinkedIn, or follow her on Twitter @GiuliaSimolo.
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