4 Ways to Exit a Relationship Gracefully

By GalTime .com. Posted on Nov 16th 2012.

It may be time to cut ties with the one you love. There is a good way to do it, right?

These days, it’s so easy for people to wuss out and break-up the weenie way: via email, text, or voice message. You don’t want to be that person. Value yourself and your new ex enough to end it, face to face. But not with just any sad or angry conversation, you want to part ways with graceful gratitude. So prepare ahead of time by thinking of the things you appreciated about your partner, the lessons you learned, and the gifts you offered to each other. Then at a good time, sit down and be super clear about your decision to move on. Provide whatever level of detail your partner needs to understand the why’s. But do so in a gentle, kind way by sharing all of the things you are also thankful for during your time together. Invite your partner to share in a similar way, despite the pain or discomfort of the circumstance.

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EXIT STEP 4: MAKE A CLEAN BREAK

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Break ups have a way of being messy, on again-off again affairs, which only end up causing more pain. So once you’ve celebrated your relationship for what was good, and shared the reasons you no longer can be together, it’s time to agree to a No-Contact Period. In the weeks immediately following a break up, it’s really hard to move on if you keep touching base via email, text, or phone. It’s like pulling the scab off your wounds- they take longer to heal than if you just leave it alone. By agreeing to not connect with each other for a period of time, say 2 weeks to 2 months, you give each other the space to grieve, begin emotional separation, and let go to stand on your own two feet again. Be sure you agree on a time frame you can each live with, and if you both wish to remain friends, you can reconnect after that time.

After your parting, give yourself time to heal and move on before dating again and you should be ready to start from a fresh, clean, positive place!

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