How to End a Relationship The end is near. Knowing how to end a relationship gracefully is
First things first. It's important that you have a full understanding of why you want to break-up with this person, so that you can easily communicate the reasons when the time comes, When a relationship turns sour, there is usually one big reason that has led to a lot of smaller problems. If your having trouble pointing to an underlying reason, get out a sheet of paper, and write down every aspect of the relationship that makes you unhappy. Then, look for a common thread, or causation that runs through most of what you have written down. Once you can rationally outline your dissatisfaction, you'll be better prepared to face questions during the break-up.
Depending on the seriousness of the relationship and your opinion of your partner, you may want to salvage a friendship from the rubble of romance. Or, you may never want to see the person's face ever again. Either way, it's a good idea to know where you want the relationship to go, in advance. This way, during the break-up, you can be clear about where, exactly, you hope the relationship will go.
Getting dumped is about ten times worse if comes out of nowhere. You may have known for weeks, but if your partner doesn't have a clue, the shock of being dumped could be devastating. If you know you want the relationship to end, don't just keep going through the usual motions until the minute you drop the bomb. Instead, start to distance yourself emotionally, and hint at your growing dissatisfaction with the relationship. However, it's important that this phase doesn't last too long (a week or two max). Otherwise, you're no longer being considerate, your just drawing out the inevitable.
As a general rule, if you've been on more than 5 dates, you have to do the deed in person. When the time comes, pick the right spot. You'll need some privacy. Nobody likes getting dumped within earshot of other people. Consider taking a walk in the park, or just staying in.
Sometimes, you really can't control when you end the relationship. But, if you can, try to avoid holidays, birthdays, valentine's day, funerals, bar-mitzvahs, shark week, etc... OK, I'm kidding about those last couple, but you get my point.
Learning how to end a relationship gracefully means learning how to reject the relationship without rejecting the person. In other words, don't just recite a laundry list of things you don't like about your partner. Instead, show how your combined personalities don't synchronize perfectly. Doing this will spare feelings, and it really does take two to tango.
Finally, even if you would like to be friends post break-up, you'll need to spend some time away from each other, with little contact. The amount of time will vary between couples, but, time is necessary or you'll risk falling into a post-relationship relationship that will send mixed signals, and do more harm than good.
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