Toxic relationships can adversely affect your mental health and self-esteem. Therefore, it is important to learn how to move on from a toxic relationship. Remember, you deserve to own your identity and not surrender to someone who doesn’t regard you as an individual. No one would ever like to be within set boundaries and feel suffocated, disrespected, and even abused. We want you to move away from the toxicity and build your life independently. So here are some ways to help you move ahead with your chin up and head high.
How To Move On From A Toxic Relationship: 15 Effective Tips
1. Accept the situation
You might never have imagined being in a toxic relationship. You never knew your partner would be harmful. But it happened. And now you must be thinking about how to heal from a toxic relationship. Some episodes in life are not in your control. Accept the present, acknowledge that it happened, and know it is not your fault. Acknowledging the present lets you move on smoothly.
2. Don’t blame yourself
Blaming yourself for someone else’s behavior will hold you in a bubble and hide the reality from you. You might be stressed building up self-doubt and regret that might take you to a vicious cycle of guilt and disappointment. When your partner is abusing, disrespecting, and manipulating you, it is their fault and not yours. Instead, process your emotions and think practically.
3. Practice self-care
You have always taken care of them and ignored yourself. You must have sacrificed your time and passion for your partner but got nothing in return. It’s time to upgrade yourself and become a strong and independent person. Loosen yourself by: eating healthy food, exercising regularly by going for a walk or joining a yoga program, spending time with your loved ones, learning a new skill you always wanted to, getting sound sleep, and attaining mindfulness. All these will help you make practical decisions in life.
4. Try to be patient
It is not easy to come out of a relationship wherein you invested everything you had, it is still a grieving process. You had loved your partner and might still be loving them. Hence, parting away from them could be difficult. But you have to. So, do not rush, take your time, and eventually, you will come out of it.
5. Don’t rush into a new relationship
When a romantic relationship fails, some people feel a void and look for a rebound. Taking decisions in haste could prove to be a blunder. You should understand that you don’t need a person for happiness. It will help if you find that joy from within instead of looking for it here and there. So, halt dating for some time and live in the present.
6. Cut off from the toxic person
You cannot move on from a toxic person if you communicate with them daily or live with them. Create space between you and them to think with a free mind and make the right decisions for your life. Try not to talk to them for a while. However, if children are involved, you may have to talk to them in certain situations. Talk straight to the point and try not to get emotional.
7. Don’t try to change your partner
They harmed you, didn’t care for you, and made you suffer. Do you still hope for them to change for you? Maybe a slim chance, but what if they remain the same? You must have given them many chances, and expecting a change in them will again take you on a painful ride. So it is better you move on without letting your happiness depend on someone.
8. Set boundaries
A toxic person will keep themselves first. They will not consider your needs and desires and impose demands on you. To move away from them, set boundaries around yourself. Understand what you want and stick to them, do not let anyone cross your boundaries and trouble you. Only when you take care of yourself, others will eventually respect your limits.
9. Be kind to yourself
Moving away from the person you loved and admired once could be a herculean task. While doing so, you could be harsh on yourself, which is the wrong approach. You are already mentally stressed out, so it is essential to train your mind and strengthen it to face many hardships. You can try self-manifestation techniques and practice them every day after you wake up and before you go to bed. Some thoughts you may practice are “I’m strong and can face any challenge,” “I will be calm, come what may,” or “Just a few more days of struggle, be strong.”
10. Love yourself
Being in a toxic relationship could eat you from within. You may become a person you are not. When you are trying to come out of an unhealthy relationship, gather yourself, know who you are, count on your strengths, and stand up to your views. Only when you love yourself, you can have your identity, which cannot be touched or harmed by anyone. Positive affirmations are a great way to communicate love to yourself.
11. Don’t look back
Though you could be trying hard to move ahead, your past could be pulling you back. You had those beautiful moments with your partner that could be difficult to make progress by leaving them. Nonetheless, you have to for your better future. Try not to look back, as those memories might again land you up in trouble.
12. Talk it out
You don’t share your status with your family, thinking they might be stressed. You also don’t share with your friends, assuming they might not understand you. This way, you are building the negativity within yourself that does nothing but harm you mentally. It’s wise to share with someone you trust and release the pressure from your mind.
13. Stay distracted
Thinking of leaving the past and planning for the future leaves a void in between. Try to find something engaging to fill that space. Either go on a vacation alone, indulge in a skill you always wanted to learn, or take up a course. Do anything to distract yourself so you are not tangled in the same toxicity. However, ensure that you are doing it with a healthy mindset, and not just to avoid it.
14. Don’t forget, but forgive
Your partner must have troubled you a lot. It is not so simple to forgive them. However, it is essential to let things go for a brighter future. For that, you may have to forgive the person. Being angry towards them forever would take you back to the past again. Hence, dust yourself off so you can start afresh. Even though you did not receive closure from your ex, you gain it for yourself for your wellbeing.
15. Seek support
After trying many things, if you are still finding it difficult to get away from that toxic person or escape from the relationship, go for therapy. Experts will help you understand what’s holding you back and guide you through the process. They will give you certain exercises and monitor your healing process to figure out where you are stuck and how you can move ahead. Do not hesitate to get help when in need. “The moment you start to wonder if you deserve better, you do.” -Unknown
