IT’S OKAY TO TAKE A BREAK FROM A DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIP.
Love and relationships are often romanticized in movies, books, and fairy tales. They paint a picture of endless passion, eternal happiness, and two souls coming together seamlessly, but reality often tells a different story. All of life has its ups and downs, and sometimes, the downs get pretty hard to navigate. If you find yourself in a relationship that’s constantly draining you, it’s important to know it’s okay to take a break.
Your mental and emotional well-being should always be a priority. Compromising your peace of mind, happiness, or self-worth for the sake of maintaining a difficult relationship can lead to long-term emotional trauma. It’s important to recognize that and take steps to protect yourself.
Distancing oneself from the center of emotional chaos can provide much needed clarity. When you’re in the down and dirty, the thick of things, you may not see the entire picture because it’s been like this for so long. Taking a break allows you to step back and assess your feelings. It can help you decide whether the relationship is salvageable or if it’s time to move on.
A heart shadowed by difficult, dark, and deeply emotional feelings, will put a big gray cloud over everything in your life. Nothing inside or outside the relationship is going to bring you joy when you feel like this. When you’re constantly trying to fix problems in a relationship, you are probably neglecting your own self-worth and self-esteem. It is especially damaging when you can no longer see who you are outside of the relationship. If your boundaries are constantly being crossed and you do nothing about it, well, there goes your own self-respect right down the toilet too.
You cannot romanticize or sacrifice everything for love. While commitment and compromise are essential components of a relationship, they should never ever come at the cost of your happiness or well-being. Sometimes you have to choose yourself. It’s not a sign of weakness or selfishness, it’s a sign of strength.
It’s okay to take a break, to heal, to grow, and to prioritize yourself. Love is about mutual respect, understanding, and growth, and sometimes, the best way to love someone and yourself, is by taking a step back, rebooting, and then revisiting the relationship to see if it’s worth continuing.
Taking care of oneself is not merely an act of self-indulgence. Prioritizing self-care acts as a rejuvenating force, ensuring we can face life’s challenges with resilience and clarity. If we neglect our own well-being, our capacity to support, love, and engage with the world around us diminishes.
By honoring our own needs and setting boundaries, we affirm our value and set a precedent for how we wish to be treated by others.
LIVING FORWARD: New Rules 