 fuzzy blanket, 80s ballads, blasting, and empty ice cream pints. I think we all know what this means. Size going through a breakup. If there's one thing that's true about breakups, it's never easy for anyone. It's ironic. As we search for love and happiness, we focus on uncovering the secrets to a successful marriage. The signs a couple is compatible, and which factors can best predict their long-term happiness in a relationship. It's the point that we get tunnel vision. While we weren't paying attention, psychologists have stumbled upon an unusual discovery that breakups have unexpected benefits. Researchers whose work we will be touching upon later can all attest to this. Even though breaking up is hard to do, staying in a relationship that's no longer good for you just might be worse. So if you're in a relationship and wondering if a breakup might be good for you, here are six signs that a breakup might be good for you. A quick disclaimer, though. We're not telling or encouraging anyone to break up. If you're thinking about breaking up with a partner because of serious relationship struggles, it would be better to talk to a trusted friend or mental health professional about your specific situation. Alright, let's get into it. Here we go again. If you and your partner rehash the same arguments over and over, you might feel like a broken record stuck in a loop on Groundhog Day. While it's perfectly normal and healthy for couples to get into disagreements from time to time, repeating the same argument can be unproductive. According to a Healthline article from 2019 by Cindy Lamont, this is a telltale sign that it's time to break up. Repeating the same argument means that you've already reached an impasse in your relationship. There are certain things you just cannot agree to disagree on or refuse to compromise. Maybe this thing is something important to you both, maybe not. If you feel that you and your partner aren't compatible in your views and values, this may be a sign that a breakup could be good for you. That's not what I want. For our relationship to stand the test of time, you and your partner need to have a shared idea of your future together and mutually agree upon goals that speak to your core values as a couple. The moment these goals become misaligned, then it's definitely going to cause a rift between you two. Sometimes the two ideas may be totally different, but other times it can even look like your partner deciding their goals are more important, forcing you to put your ideas on hold. And according to a 2014 study about breakup benefits, having a greater sense of self-direction is one of the benefits of breaking up with someone. So if you're feeling like there's no room for you and your beliefs and goals in your relationship, it might be time for a breakup to allow you time to flourish. I'm fine. As with any relationship, romantic or platonic, the emotional needs of both parties involved need to be met to feel satisfied by the relationship. These needs can be quality time, affection, assurance, mutual trust, respect. You get it. So if you're in a relationship where your needs are no longer being met, then a breakup might be good for you. If you stay in a relationship where your needs aren't met, it's possible that you may begin to ignore your own needs or resent your partner for ignoring them. As was shown in one study by Stackert and Bersik, emotional distance. While your whole world certainly doesn't need to revolve around your significant other for it to be considered a loving and healthy relationship, you do need to have a certain amount of emotional closeness and intimacy with one another. As studies like Abdul Kalex have pointed out, the greater the emotional intimacy in the relationship, the better the couple's quality of life and psychological adjustment. So if you've noticed yourself going closer to other people and wanting to spend more time with them instead of your partner, then there's a good chance that the two of you have already drifted apart. Let's say you and your friends are out for a night on the town celebrating someone's recent promotion. When it's time to go home, are you happy to go home to your significant other or do you try to convince the group to grab some food before calling it a night? What about after work? Do you run errands or make plans to avoid going home? This could be a sign that it's time to break up. The light switch relationship. Like we said before, breakups suck. Being in an on-again, off-again relationship can just keep that pain coming back around and around. Think like Ross and Rachel. Every time they broke up, they were sad, telling the other friends how they missed each other and even were jealous of new partners. Now there's nothing wrong with finding love with the same person the second time around. Remember, even Ross and Rachel ended up together, but there are differences between TV and real life. When you're in a true on-again, off-again situation, it can be confusing and emotionally draining for both parties involved. When you go back to the on-again phase, this might be done out of loneliness and a desire for something familiar. According to a 2009 study by Melissa Ramsey Miller, in instances like this, it's ultimately better to let them go and move on yourself than to keep you both trapped in this unhealthy cycle. And are you better with or without? Does your sense of obligation to your partner keep you from chasing certain dreams or limit the opportunities you allow yourself to pursue? Do you feel that certain opinions or beliefs between you and your partner clash so you minimize them to avoid conflicts? Do you get the sense that your personalities don't complement each other well? This can be a difficult thing to admit, but you owe it to yourself to be honest. If you answered yes to any of these questions, it might be worth thinking about what it may be like if you weren't with them anymore. Studies as the ones by Alicia Franklin in 2015 and the 2013 study led by Tai Toshiro showed that there are considerable benefits to breaking up, like the ones we've discussed here. While it's never easy to let go of someone you love and end a once-happy relationship, the truth is that sometimes people grow apart and our paths can take us in different directions in life. As the famous Marilyn Monroe quote goes, sometimes things fall apart so better things can fall together. Ultimately, even the heartbreaking end of a relationship can lead to a lot of beautiful personal growth and self-discovery. Are there any other signs that you know of that could mean a breakup may be good for you? Let us know in the comments below. See you next time.