It takes great courage to walk away from a bad relationship, but you owe it to yourself to release the negativity these situations bring. Breaking up is hard to do, but it takes a stronger person to leave a relationship than to stay and be miserable. Things are always more complicated when you have children or a long history together, but sometimes love alone isn’t enough to sustain you.
Have you thought about leaving your relationship but don’t know how or if you could make it on your own? One of the main reasons people stay in unhealthy relationships is because of guilt or the financial obligation. Do you have the courage to walk away, or will you stay in a harmful situation because it’s become comfortable?
The Stress of Poor Relationships
A negative impact can have a dramatic effect on your mental and physical health. You’ve heard that stress kills, but do you know there is significant scientific research to back those statements? According to the American Institute on Stress, your body produces excess hormones of cortisol and adrenaline when you’re in this heightened state.
The surge of these hormones can put the body into fight or flight mode. During these rushes, every system in your body is on high alert, and it’s not good for your heart. A toxic relationship can undoubtedly put a strain on you, but you’re not the only one feeling the pangs of stress.
According to a survey conducted by the Mental Health Foundation, nearly 74 percent of the people in the UK said they were so stressed that they could not cope anymore. If stress is this bad in the UK, then how bad is it in the United States?
Well, Americans rank a little better, but not by much. According to the American Psychological Association, 65 percent of people in this country, or 2 out of 3, are stressed beyond belief. How many of the folks in this study were in poor relationships, had overwhelming jobs, or couldn’t keep up with finances and home life?
Sometimes, the most significant thing you can do for yourself is to walk away from that unhealthy relationship or the things that keep you chained to pain. Sometimes a couple hits the spot where it’s a dead-end or the end of the road, but while it’s so hard to let go, you must do it for your sanity and your ultimate happiness.
Ten Reasons Why It’s Okay to Walk Away
If you’ve contemplated leaving, you’ve no doubt made the essential pro and con list. Perhaps, your pro list is a little scary since you’re leaving your security and the financial aspects that keep you every day. Here are some reasons why it’s okay for you to go and never look back.
1. You’re Worth It, So Walk Away Without Guilt
If you’re not happy in your relationship, you should know that you don’t have to stay this way. In fact, you’re worth so much more than you know. You have the important job of taking care of yourself in this life, as no one else will do it for you.
While you might find people to assist you in taking care of your needs, the ultimate responsibly falls on your shoulders. Remember, with each argument, name-calling, and abusive encounter you have with your partner, you should remind yourself that you deserve so much better.
2. Someone Will Love You How You Need
So, this relationship hasn’t worked out as you would want. You mustn’t let it taint your view for other people. There is another person out there that will love you and provide all the things you need.
Imagine if you gave up too soon and spent your life alone when there’s someone out there that fits you as well as a sock does in a shoe? Sometimes people are just toxic for one another. However, just because the current relationship hasn’t been the best doesn’t mean the next one won’t be simply amazing.
3. Walk Away if Your Partner Affects Your Health
You already know that the stress of a relationship can take a drastic toll on your health. If you experience things like dizziness, frequent headaches, and sleeping too much or too little, it’s all signs that your body is trying to tell you something is amiss.
When you have issues with your mental or physical health, it affects every aspect of your being. It’s time to make your health a top priority.
4. Putting It Off Only Causes More Pain
If the situation is on a downward spiral, putting off the inevitable only brings more pain. Each person has a suitcase that they carry with them through life. Inside this suitcase, you put your unresolved issues, fears, and regrets. Every time your spouse calls you a name or degrades you in some way, it’s packed inside your baggage that you will carry through life.
Letting go of the things inside this suitcase is not easy, and it’s often the relationship after this one that must help you dig through and unpack the items. So, why would you want to put more in this bad that only makes your load heavier? It’s time to walk away before you get a load of garbage in your proverbial suitcase that brings you to rock bottom.
5. Your Kids Might Thank You (Eventually)
Some people stay together for the sake of their children. They worry about finances and all sorts of aspects of their relationship tied to the monetary value. However, how do you think it makes your child feel when they see the negative relationship between you two?
Every argument, name-calling, slap, or altercation profoundly affects them. While you may be thinking dollars and cents, many children will tell you that they would rather live with nothing than live in a toxic situation.
6. It Doesn’t Have To Be a Bitter Battle
Many people walk away and split amicably. You can co-parent without all the games and be there for the kids without all the drama. Both parties must work very hard together to achieve such an arrangement, but it’s often best to get some mediation involved.
Make a pact that the kids come first, and you should never talk bad about the other parent in front of a child.
7. A Whole New Life Is Waiting For You When You Walk Away
Have you ever been outside working in the garden, covered with dirt and grime from head to toe? Remember that feeling when you stepped into the shower and washed away all that filth? It’s a euphoric feeling of cleanliness that sweeps over you, and it relaxes you and makes you feel like a new person.
Oh, the feeling of relief when you remove yourself from a toxic relationship is very similar. Kristen Fuller, MD from Psychology Today, tells people that the emptiness you feel will heal, and the new experiences can fill your empty heart with joy and laughter.
8. Walk Away to Become More Independent
When you’re used to being part of a couple, you become dependent upon one another for everyday life. However, when you break the ties that bind, you learn independence. You have no clue how strong you are until you know to stand on your own two feet. It’s time for you to be the independent, fun-loving person that you were meant to be.
9. You Can Help Others
When you walk away from a toxic situation, you’re taking control of the problem instead of letting it control you. You’re learning that you can overcome even the most challenging matters, which are those of the heart. Through your trials and tribulations, you can use your story to help others in the same situation.
It takes a strong person to leave, and your strength can help empower others to make tough choices.
10. You Only Get One Life to Live
Simply put, you only get one life to live, and why should you waste one moment being miserable? You can be happy, healthy and have friends who support and care for you. Maybe you will move on to another relationship, or perhaps you will stay a fierce, independent single. However, whatever you do, you need to make sure that you live the one life you have to the fullest.
Final Thoughts on Why It’s Okay to Walk Away
As the old song says, it’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday. The good news is that you can take all the memories that will help you remember the joyous times more than the pain. It probably wasn’t all bad, and there were things that you will always hold near and dear to your heart.
When you walk away from a relationship and all the negativity attached to it, it feels like walking out of a storm and seeing a rainbow. It’s a promise that everything is going to be okay, and the sun will shine again. You have to believe it and hold on to the faith that the best times are ahead of you.
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