How to Know When It’s Time to Move on in your relationship

Relationships come with its challenges and sometimes we are in a fix of not knowing when to move on.

The following are sign indicators that you desperately need to move on in your relationship:

• Your needs aren’t being met

Every person has different “requirements” that need to be met in a relationship. These needs can be emotional, like wanting quality time with your partner, or functional, like requiring them to competently manage money.

When one partner feels that the other isn’t fulfilling a requirement, it’s important to communicate that. If that person’s partner isn’t willing to try harder to fulfill that need, it’s probably time to move on.

One of the reasons people stay in relationships that don’t meet their needs stems from the negative views our society has about being single. It may seem like if they leave and move on from the relationship, they may never find something better. Such mentality wastes valuable time and perpetuates a person’s unhappiness. “You could be taking that time to find someone who will give you what you need.”

• You’re seeking those needs from others

When you get promoted at work or you’re faced with a family emergency, who is the first person you want to tell? In a fulfilling, healthy relationship, the answer to those questions should be your partner.

It’s great to have trusted colleagues at work, if you’re constantly turning to a “work husband” or “work wife” for support, it may be a sign that you’re not getting the support you need from your partner. “If you’re like, ‘I have a choice between talking to my boyfriend and talking to my guy friend, the guy who is constantly giving you that emotional affirmation that I need — I’m going with the friend,’”… “Something’s not right.”

If either you or your partner is seeking emotional or physical fulfillment from people outside of your relationship, it’s a clear indication that it’s probably time to move on from the relationship.

• You’re scared to ask for more from your partner

It’s natural to feel uncomfortable talking to your partner about what you need and may not be getting from your relationship. But open lines of communication are essential to lasting, healthy partnerships.

“People may think, ‘That’s going to make me sound needy and emotional.” Instead of speaking up, they suppress how they feel, continue on with their dissatisfaction and feign contentment out of fear of feeling like a burden.

“Then something happens that breaks the camel’s back.” And the argument that ensues can wind up being more damaging to the relationship than it would have been if you had addressed it sooner. Hiding your true feelings about how your partner is treating you likely prolongs the unfulfilling relationship, rather than saves it. If you can’t get past the fear of confronting your partner, it’s probably time to seek help or move on.

• Your friends and family don’t support your relationship

You should take stock of how your trusted family members and friends feel about your relationship. “If nobody in the community supports your relationship, that’s a red flag.” If the people who love and support you see that the person you’re in love with isn’t making you happy, it’s a good idea to listen to their opinions.

If you decide push aside your friends’ and family’s concerns, it may lead to another sign that it’s time to move on from the relationship: “You’re starting to lie to your friends, you’re starting to lie to yourself.” When you isolate yourself from your loved ones in order to avoid listening to their concerns, they’re probably right — the relationship probably isn’t.

• You feel obligated to stay with your partner

People are more likely to stay in relationships that they’ve already invested time and effort in. A prior investment leads to a continuous investment, even when the decision doesn’t make you happy.

“When it comes to people and relationships, time does not necessarily equal success.” But simply investing more time in a relationship with someone you love won’t fix the problems. If both partners aren’t willing to work to fulfill the other’s needs, the relationship probably isn’t worth more time… you need to move on.

• You’ve been working on your relationship for more than a year

Of course, when two people are in love and have spent years together or have started a family together, there is a stronger incentive to work out the problems. Her advice is to seek couples’ counseling if both partners want the relationship to work. But she caveats that you should set a time limit of one year.

“If you spend too much time in indecision, it will erode the foundation of the relationship to the point where you can’t really make it back.”

After about a year of actively working on the relationship and unsuccessfully trying to meet each other’s needs, the difficult decision to move on is likely the best decision.

• You don’t like your partner

While it may sound counterintuitive, you can actually be in love with a person you don’t like. If that’s the case, you may get by day to day, but it will be nearly impossible to make it through difficult times together.

All couples have disagreements, but people in healthy, loving relationships keep the mindset that “this is my friend, and I’m going to get through this with this person.” “And I don’t know how you get through those things without liking them.”

Still, it’s never easy to move on from someone you love — even when the relationship isn’t working. The key, is to listen to the logical part of your brain, instead of submitting to the euphoric chemical reactions that love can cause.

• Your partner is abusive

It’s possible for people in an abusive relationship to love an abusive partner. One in four women and one in 10 men have been victims of intimate partner violence, according to a 2015 survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

One in five of the women surveyed said the men possessed significant positive traits, like “being affectionate.” Researchers found that these views contributed to some victims staying in abusive relationships, among other reasons — like isolation, extortion and physical violence.

When it comes to abuse of any kind, it’s crucial to safely find a way out. “It’s difficult to get out of those relationships.”  “You have to really love yourself to move on.”