In many relationships it can be tough to hold on to all those amazing feelings that turned your light flirtation into a flourishing romance once the two of you have been together for some significant time. If you’ve hit a rough patch, trying to figure out how you’re really feeling can get pretty confusing – you definitely still care about each other and like each other a lot but you’re young and does this relationship need to be so serious right now?

Although some couples decide to “take a break” while they try to wrap their head around their own emotions and it works for them, the odds are stacked against you and a clean break leads to less mess. So before you two start experimenting with your relationship status read these reasons for splitting up rather than putting things on pause.

Worse in the End

There’s no doubt that breaking up sucks, but that’s exactly why you shouldn’t draw it out. If things are going poorly enough to take a break they’re going poorly enough to end it entirely. If you just put this on hold it’s inevitable that one of you will have different expectations from the other. You might disagree on “the rules” of the break, how long it lasts, and what will happen if/when you two get back together. There’s no doubt this imbalance will spoil things worse than already were. Save the pain and sever ties now.

Exploring is for Outside a Relationship

If you’re taking a time out so one/both of you can try things out with other people there’s an even better chance that feelings could get hurt. You can admit it to each other – the idea of seeing other people, for whatever reason(s), is more appealing than just seeing each other for right now. Whatever hurt that might cause probably isn’t as bad as the feelings you’ll stir up of jealousy or betrayal or dragging out a relationship that is meant to be over.

Relationships Can Survive Intermissions Without Forcing It

Sometimes a break comes during a period where staying together is harder than the going different ways – a long summer apart, one of you is off to a new school, etc. Rather than negotiating the terms of a “break” and planning specifically towards some future, a better option might just be an old fashion break up. If you’re meant to be you two will get together again when the circumstances allow it. Ask her out again when the challenge is gone and go from there. It simplifies a lot of things which will make your lives better during the in between period and when you reunite.