The first thing I recommend you do after a relationship collapse is to assess the state of your relationship. If your mind is racing ahead to what you think the future might hold or to what you guess your partner will do next, stop.
A relationship ending can be caused by infidelity, jealousy, mistrust, flirting, anger and resentment, unresolved disagreements and more.
You might be very angry, not sleeping or eating well and afraid about your future. You may also be feeling justified about what you’ve said or done. After all, your partner did something terrible and unloving!
When your relationship is falling apart, try this:
1.No Hearsays
If you’re replaying in your mind your version of what went down between you two, stop. Slow down your thinking and, instead, get very clear about literally what happened.
This is going to be your biased perspective, so be as choosy as you can about what you believe is true. Think about what was actually said and the actions that really happened.
Go with observations and verifiable information when at all possible.
If, for example, you’re “sure” about your partner’s intentions or even feelings, ask yourself if you really know this. Keep returning to what was said, what was done, and how you feel about it.
This is a time to know, with as much certainty as you can, the place where you stand.
2 . What is Your Best Interest? Be honest
Next, I invite you to consider the wisdom of repairing your relationship. We do NOT think that people should throw away a perfectly good relationship just because mistakes (even big mistakes) were made or an argument happened.
But, I also know how important it is to make conscious choices about one’s life…this includes the conscious choice to stay in or to leave the relationship.
Think about what is in your best interest. Think about where you stand right now with your partner and also about where you want to go in the future. Remind yourself that you deserve to have the kind of relationship you truly want.
It’s also helpful to review what you know about your partner’s actions and stated intentions.
For instance, if your partner had (or is having) an affair, get clear about whether or not the affair has actually ended. If it hasn’t, do you have any indication that your mate is planning to stop cheating?
If he or she has vowed to end the affair but has done nothing to follow through, consider that as well.
The decision to stay in or leave a relationship is yours to make. Making a conscious and empowered choice can help — whether you end the relationship and take a different direction in life or you stay to repair and rebuild with your partner.
3. Own Your Role
You’ve probably heard the saying that it takes “two to tango.”
As uncomfortable as it is to admit, this is almost always true. What your partner said or did may have been a huge betrayal, but there is probably a role you also played in the relationship collapse.
With gentleness and self-love, try to determine what your role was and is.
This isn’t about you taking the blame or being the only one at fault for what happened. That’s not helpful either!
This is about you owning your share of whatever dynamic was going on in your relationship that contributed to the collapse.
This might have been your tendency to say “yes” even when you mean “no.” This may be your habit of jumping to conclusions or to shutting down and withdrawing when things get tense.
Find out what your role is and ask yourself if you are willing to make some changes. Don’t do it for your partner, do it for you. The more you can clean up your own habits, the happier you’ll be.
4. Put Your next foot forward.
Go do the advance work!
This is vital if you truly want to repair the damage of a relationship collapse. It is rarely a wise idea to rush to any action without taking some amount of time to get clear within yourself about where you stand, what your role is and what is beneficial for you.
When couples have the same argument or they break up and reunite over and over again, it’s often because neither of them has done the advance work. They are merely repeatedly reacting to one another and building up even more hostility and pain.
Whatever it is, take your next step and keep checking in with yourself as you take another and another. This is the way to rebuild trust and connection and to re-discover your love for one another.