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It may be time for an exit strategy.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart — Written on Oct 22, 2021
A lot of people are in relationships that have stalled, where one or both people don't actually care about their partner.
At times, it can be hard for people to realize their status, even if they're the ones who stopped caring.
So, when is it time to break up?
Looking for signs you don't care about your relationship anymore can clue you in about whether you still have feelings for your partner, or if you've been living in a relationship where neither of you really wants to stay together.
Here are 15 signs you don't care about your relationship anymore.
1. You stopped paying attention when they ask you to do something.
Do you brush everything off with a simple, "I'll do it later!"?
Tuning out a partner's asking for help is a clear sign that you really don't care about their workload in the relationship. It's also a sign that you don't put them as too high a priority.
2. Speaking of priorities, your partner is somewhere around the bottom of your priority list.
When people take their significant others for granted, they stop prioritizing them as a whole.
If you actually were worried about them leaving or being upset, you would place them in a higher priority rank.
3. Sex is a chore for you.
And you regularly find reasons why you shouldn't have to sleep with your partner.
This shows you're probably not even attracted to your partner, and that you might not really care about how they feel when it comes to sexual rejection.
If this is the case, do your partner a favor and leave.
4. When you see your partner upset, you make no move to comfort them.
Even strangers would behave better than that in many cases, so if you're behaving this way, it's safe to say you stopped caring a while ago.
5. Truthfully, your partner's presence annoys you more than excites you.
When you stop looking forward to seeing your partner and start seeing them as a pest you need to tolerate, you fell out of love with them.
Unfortunately, it's hard to go back to caring about your partner in the way you used to when this has happens.
6. Everything about the relationship is routine.
Everything in your life seems like it's stuck in repeat. You get home, hug, talk about the day, go to sleep. Rinse, repeat. There's no magic in everyday life, and there's no surprising twists to look forward to.
Though comfort is a key sign of a long term-relationship, this goes a bit beyond comfort. It's a rut, and it's one that you don't care enough to break.
7. You refuse to compromise on anything.
Even the things that your partner is desperately focused on changing.
Does anyone do this to people they care about? Answer: Not really. A person who is willing to compromise is a person who cares enough to make things work.
8. Your schedule is now filled with time spent with other people.
It doesn't have to be a matter of cheating, either.
The fact is that this is a subtle sign that you are no longer invested in the relationship the way you once were.
When you stop making time for your partner, it's often a sign that you're taking their presence for granted or that you no longer care about them.
9. You begin to treat your partner like a personal servant.
Have you stopped thanking them when they cook, clean, or drive you places? Do you basically order them around like a butler or a maid?
If so, you're most likely taking them for granted, or you just don't care about how much they work to keep you.
10. You're way more concerned with yourself than your partner.
When this happens, you stop caring about "us" or "we." Your partner's needs stop mattering, and the relationship turns into a game of "What Can This Guy Do For Me?"
Unfortunately, it's time to read the writing on the wall: you're using your partner and you don't even care.
11. It's been a big case of "Wandering Eyes" with you.
When you begin to notice yourself ogling others, it's often the first step toward coming up with an exit plan from your current relationship.
When you stop caring about staying loyal to your partner, it's basically the same thing as not caring about a potential breakup.
12. You're not even trying to stay sexy for your partner.
A lot of psychologists suggest that letting yourself go might be a subconscious way to try to let your partner go, too.
13. You legitimately feel like you've settled.
It doesn't really get much more obvious than this, does it?
14. If you really think about it, you can't say you respect your partner.
This also includes showing them respect. Without respect, it's going to be a toxic relationship, even if you don't yell at them or find them annoying.
15. You're staying with them because you like the quality of life you have with them, or out of a sense of duty.
This is really what toxic relationships are at their most basic level.
It's not a relationship that runs on love, just one that runs because of really bad excuses.
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Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer based out of Red Bank, New Jersey. She writes primarily about lifestyle, food, finance, and relationships. You can follow them on Twitter.