8 tips on how to nicely break-up with someone you like but no longer love

Not every relationship ends in bitter acrimony, sometimes things just run out of steam, or the magic just isn’t there anymore.

Breaking up with someone that you still like, but no longer love, can be a really hard thing to do.
You don’t want to hurt them, but you don’t want to be with them either, so how do you tell them that it’s over.

Listed below are eight smart ways to nicely end a relationship.

1. Get the timing right: You could say that there will never be a good time to do this, and you would probably be right, but there certainly are some very bad times that you can choose to break up with someone. You can’t hold off forever, but you can at least avoid times when he is already distressed about something else.

2. Do tell him to his face: If you have been with a guy for a while, then you at least owe him the courtesy of telling him to his face that the relationship is over. A Post-it note on the fridge door, or a brief and blunt text message left on his phone, is a rude and disrespectful way to split up with someone, and it will also leave so many questions for him unanswered in his own mind.

3. Don’t let him hear the news from someone else: You might need the support of your friends over this difficult time, and you might discuss it with other people before you tell your boyfriend that it’s over. Don’t make it public knowledge, though, before you have told him. He will feel humiliated if he finds out from someone else, and he was the last to know what was coming.

4. Do make sure that he gets the message: Don’t tease him and play with his feelings; make it quite clear that you are breaking up, but in a nice way. The fact you are splitting up shouldn’t become a guessing game for him, your intentions should be perfectly clear. If you have definitely made your mind up, then get that message across.

Read also: 6 tips on how to save a relationship heading for the rocks‎

5. Be honest(ish): Another tip on how to break up with someone nicely is to tell them the truth about why you are breaking up and don’t try and hide behind outlandish lies. If you tell him you are going overseas to work as a missionary, and he sees you the next week with your new boyfriend then he is going to be even more hurt, than if you told him the truth that you just don’t love him anymore.

6. Don’t laugh!: Next tip on how to break up with someone nicely is to avoid laughing. This is going to be serious news for him, so you need to take it seriously too. If you have a big grin on your face when you tell him the news, you will hurt him even more. Have a little empathy with the guy.

7. Be sensitive, but don’t get too close: It’s a difficult balance to strike between caring about someone’s hurt and giving them false hope, but remember that he may still care about you a lot, and this is going to hurt to him. Show some compassion and kindness when you talk to him, but still keep your distance from him.

8. Keep it short and sweet: Another tip on how to break up with someone nicely is to keep it short and sweet. Don’t hang around for too long, a breakup should really only last for about half an hour at the most, before you should be on your way.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now