LET GO OF UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

Learn How to Put Negativity Behind You and Live Happier!

Fulfilling relationships can enhance your life and encourage you to grow and develop deep bonds with others.  These types of relationships are positive additions to your life and will make you feel good, even during ‘rough spots’ and troubling times.  If you’re holding on to unhealthy relationships, there’s a good chance you’re experiencing negativity and periods of low self-esteem on a regular basis.  Learning to recognize these unhealthy connections and working up the courage to let them go is essential for your emotional growth and well being.

Empower yourself and navigate your life towards healthier territory; here are some strategies for letting go of unhealthy relationships:

ESTABLISH HEALTHY BOUNDARIES

Each person in a relationship has certain responsibilities towards the other person, and when these are acknowledged and respected, it creates harmony in the relationship.  Overstepping your boundaries or ignoring the other person’s needs are clear signs that the level of respect has diminished.  Acknowledge that this has happened and make boundary-setting a top priority in your future relationships.

CHECK YOUR SELF ESTEEM METER

If you’re stuck in a relationship where you know the other person is cheating on you, it’s time to do some solid thinking about your standards.  Have you set them too low?  Dr. Phil encourages us to ask the question, ‘What is it about you that causes you to settle for somebody that you know will lie to you and cheat on you?”.  Do a double-check on your self-esteem to make sure you’re not clinging onto somebody who doesn’t deserve you!

IDENTIFY ABUSIVE OR MANIPULATIVE RELATIONSHIPS

Are you in a relationship with someone where empty promises, emotional blackmailing and uncertainty prevail?  These are signs of manipulative and abusive relationships that can leave one party hurt more often than not.  Make a note about how you feel when you’re communicating with this person or how they handle conflict in your relationship.  If the conversations turn to anger and disrespectful comments, it may be time to let go.

ARE YOU HAPPY?

Ask yourself if you really feel happy when you’re around the other person.  Do you feel fulfilled and respected? Or are you always searching for clues that you’re appreciated or acknowledged?  If you don’t feel positive and comfortable with the other person, they may not be the right match for you.  Don’t waste your days just because your current relationship feels safe and secure; work up the courage to let go and start over so you can experience true happiness with someone who sincerely cares about you.

ARE YOU OVER OR UNDER-INVESTING IN THE RELATIONSHIP?

Many people have difficulty with sharing the responsibility of the relationship; some go overboard by investing too much time and effort to please the other person, while others will play a passive role where they let the other person take charge of everything.   Both scenarios are unhealthy and will create conflict at some point in time.  Assess the relationship with an objective perspective and decide if that’s what you really want…if it’s not, it might be high time to move along.

Recognizing the signs of an unhealthy relationship is the first step towards building a better and more fulfilling one, but you may not be successful right away.  Persist with setting healthy boundaries and letting go of relationships that no longer serve your best interests.

Article Written By: Sabah Karimi; Sabah is a busy writer from Orlando, Fla., who is passionate about writing on health and fitness, beauty, fashion and style tips, spa and travel topics. She now uses her expertise as a freelance writer to contribute to both DivaVillage.com and VillageMAMA.com.