8 ways to end your relationship respectfully

• Posted on February 6, 2015February 6, 2015
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

1. Explain yourself. Be sure that you have a proper explanation as to why you want to end the relationship. It’s not a good idea to leave a person hanging. It’s even worse to just leave them without even saying goodbye. Keep in mind that the person that you’re planning to leave has been a part of your life and they deserve some respect from you.

2. Be honest.  Remember that you have to be honest. Don’t make up excuses that are far from the truth. Excuses only complicate things in the future. It’s better to tell the truth because at least, once it’s all over, both of you can move on without any questions waiting to be answered.

If you’re afraid that telling the truth might hurt your partner, tell yourself that although the truth may really hurt, your partner deserves to know the whole truth and nothing less. If you got tired of him or her because he or she was boring and annoying, tell him or her directly. Just don’t be rude in saying so because that would only add to the insult.

The advantage of telling the whole truth to your partner is so that they can work on their weaknesses and mistakes so that in the future, they won’t be faced with the same problems. Hopefully, their future partners won’t have to leave them for the same reason you did.

3. Be direct. When you break up with a person, don’t be a tease. Don’t ever play with their feelings and emotions. Keep in mind that the moment you break up with someone, his or her heart will be very vulnerable.

4. Be firm. Don’t be too nice and mushy because the person might think that you still have feelings for them. Being too nice can give him or her the false hope that you might want to get back together at some point.

5. Be clear. Directly tell your significant other that you are breaking up with him or her and then clearly state your reasons. Avoid laughing or smiling when you are stating your reasons. Learn to be empathetic because you really wouldn’t enjoy it if someone was smiling while breaking up with you.

6. Tie up loose ends. Finish and solve all your unresolved issues while trying to keep the breakup civil and friendly. Emphasize clearly yet nicely the need for both of you to move on and get on with each other’s lives. Do not sugar-coat your reasons because you will only end up not being able to get your point across. This will make your partner more confused than before.

7. Be brief. Do not dawdle because that would only add to the anxiety of your partner. If you want, you can tell him or her that you can still be friends, but that’s about it.

8. Be gracious. Don’t forget to express your gratitude to your partner for the time that you spent together. Admit it, you shared some happy moments together and that’s worth expressing gratitude for.

-yourtango