Putting it all together.
- Be clear and honest about how you feel
- Think before you speak…”I’m sorry” does not fix everything
- Sometimes you may need to compromise, both people need to give and take to make the relationship healthy
- Be assertive
- Take time and listen to the other person
- Fight fair…no name calling and be willing to take a break and come back to the problem later
- Try to stay focused on the problem at hand and leave the past in the past
- Be willing to talk about how the problem makes you feel
- Speak to the person in a respectful way-remember you love this person
- Check in and see how the person feels
- Turn off the radio and television
- Respect the other persons property
- Remember to compromise
- Do not argue with someone if they are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
- Check in and make sure that both people feel safe
- When it is over it is over, be willing to let go of the past
- Ending a relationship is always hard, especially when there has been a great deal of emotional investment in the relationship. It is completely normal to feel upset, angry, frustrated, sad or relieved. Sometimes your feelings change and it is hard to explain how you are feeling. If you need to talk then take time to talk to others who you trust.
- If the person has ever been violent then talk to others about the safest way to break up, it may be helpful to talk to a counselor
- If there has never been violence in the relationship
- Be honest about why you are ending the relationship
- Be consistent: say what you mean and mean what you say
- You do not have to be friends after, give yourself time to decide if that is what will work for both of you
- Pick a spot that gives you some privacy and few interruptions
