In our social media age, knowing how to break up adds even more stress to an already painful situation. Read on for our expert break up advice about the etiquette for modern relationships.
Who can forget that infamous Sex and the City episode when Jack Berger breaks up with Carrie on a bright yellow Post-it note? From the shocked expression on Carrie’s face, to the abhorrence of her girlfriends and even the sympathy of a passing police officer, the Post-it farewell was deemed as tacky as the glue that makes it stick and has become a symbol of everything one should not do when choosing to end a relationship.
But what exactly is the etiquette for breaking up in a world consumed by countless means of communication, from texting to Facebook to Gchat? Christine Hart, a dating and relationships coach based in Toronto, says that it’s an important question—especially because she believes that how you break up with someone impacts future relationships and how you date moving forward.
“You need to close things in a healthy way in order for things to be open in the next relationship,” she recommends as break up advice. “I’ve noticed a definite correlation between bad ‘break-uppers’ being bad ‘daters.’”
Although she never received the Post-it treatment, Jennifer Watson, a 32-year-old yoga teacher, is still wondering what the secret to a good break-up is. “I’ve never had a decent one,” she says. “It’s either been a case of getting a cold email, an abrupt phone call or an uncomfortable conversation in the middle of a restaurant. I’ve never been able to have one of those loving, respectful partings.”
For break up advice about how to break up with your partner, we turned to Hart, who shares her break-up etiquette tips according to how long you’ve been in the relationship.
How to break up: After 3 to 5 dates
You’ve been to a movie, shared dinner together, possibly even enjoyed an afternoon spent walking the beach, but the spark or je ne sais quoi simply isn’t there. What do you do with these kinds of relationships?
For more of Hart's break up advice and to learn how to break up without breaking your partner's heart, keep reading on the next page...
