3 ways to avoid regretting the break-up

Why our break-up decisions aren't great, and what to do about them.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

The decision to break up with someone you’ve cared about is not a small one.

Yet too many people treat it that way.

Here’s how to not mess it up.

First mistake: Using decision-making to self-soothe.

When we break up with someone because we feel a negative emotion regarding our relationship, we are using decisions as a means of emotional management, as a way to feel better. This is problematic because the decision to dump has consequences beyond just feeling good in the moment. It breaks a bond between you and another person. It ends a connection you once found valuable. But when we feel low, we think more about our feelings than our circumstances.