Taking breaks in a relationship is among the many healthy ways to diffuse the tension between partners even though it could be a sign of a ship waiting for dive.
“We need a break from each other”, is probably any person’s nightmare statement ever. It gets you thinking about why you need a break when you can talk about your problems and resolve them.
Sometimes they don’t dignify you with this sentence, they will keep quiet, and then three weeks in without talking, that’s when reality slaps you across the face.
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Even though breaks in a relationship are a sign of a relationship waiting to sink, they could be good for both parties.
There just needs in-depth preparation on both the psychological, emotional, and physical levels.
Have that talk with your partner.
Don’t just say that you want a break and have no reason why, unless you are dating an angel who is always in the know.
Establish logistics of why you need it. It could be that the relationship is overwhelming for you. Tell them.
While at it, you can also establish ground rules for what you need to be done during this time apart from each other.
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- Establish a realistic time frame for your break.
Sweetheart, a relationship break for 6 months is not a break, it’s a breakup.
Define how long you want the break to last and by heavens, please make it reasonable. No need to dilly-dally with time when you know you are not in it for the long run.
- Take the actual break, Jennifer!
If you are serious about this break, you will take it for what it is. Cut off any communication with your partner and take the time to reflect on the reasons that took you down this road in the first place.
Leave the small talk for when you both have completed the break period.
- Reconnection with brutal honesty.
After the well-deserved break, (hopefully, it was), both of you should come back to the drawing table.
Be honest with each other about the things that you reflected on during your break and how you think they can be worked out.
If you still have reservations about the relationship, tell them. Your partner won’t bite you. (Again, hopefully).
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Ultimately, breaks could be the saving grace we need to have a long-lasting relationship. You can only hope though that your partner doesn’t come back from a break with your replacement by his side, leaving you wishing you hadn’t agreed to this ‘stupid’ idea in the first place.
