5 Concrete Signs You’d Be Happier Single (And It’s Time To Break Up)

Even though you might want this relationship to be the relationship that you stay in for the rest of your life, you shouldn’t force yourself to stay in a situation that isn’t making you happy. You shouldn’t feel like you’re stuck and leaving isn’t an option. There’s nothing wrong with saying goodbye to someone who once (or still does) mean something to you. It’s okay to let go. Here are a few signs that you’re both going to be happier if you go through a breakup:

You cherish your time apart more than your time together.

You would rather spend time alone, time with your friends, or time at work than spend time with your person. You never count down the moments until you see them. You never look forward to getting a text from them or seeing their face. In fact, a part of you is relieved when plans with them are canceled. It’s not that you’re actively dreading your time with them – but you aren’t excited to spend time with them. It doesn’t make much of a difference to you whether you see them or not because you have so many other things on your plate.

You feel restrained by your partner or relationship as a whole.

You feel like you aren’t able to reach your full potential because your partner is holding you back, anchoring you in place, or even causing you to move backward. You feel like your relationship is causing you to behave differently than you would if you were single or in a relationship with someone who fit you better. You feel like a part of you is missing. Instead of feeling more whole because of this person, you actually feel emptier.

Your relationship is slowly draining you.

You’re always exhausted because your relationship takes a lot out of you. You are putting a lot of effort into every interaction with this person. It drains you to spend time with them, to have conversations with them, to love and support them. You know that relationships require hard work, but you feel like this one is extra difficult. You feel like you never get a chance to rest or focus on yourself anymore – and you’re starting to resent it.

You’re having the same fights on a loop.

You aren’t always going to agree with your partner. Even the happiest relationships are going to contain arguments. But if you’re having fights about the same topic over and over again without coming to a compromise or altering behavior to prevent repeat fights in the future, then nothing is going to change. The tension is going to remain. If you can’t figure out a way to overcome an obstacle that is causing you a lot of pain, then you’re better off apart.

Your ideal futures look completely different.

If you want completely different things in life and can’t come to a compromise that makes you both happy, then you’re either going to have to sacrifice your dreams or ask them to sacrifice theirs. Either way, someone is going to be upset. Someone could end up growing resentful and bitter. If the type of future you’re excited about is different than theirs, then you’re better off apart. That way, you can both live out your wildest dreams.