Breaks allow couples to see the partnership from a new perspective, acknowledge personal doubts and wrongdoings, determine changes that need to be made (like perhaps one person is putting in more effort than the other), and then decide if the relationship is worth continuing.

When you need a break from your relationship?

You may need a break if the conflicts in your relationship are leading to one or both of you shutting down communication or provoking the other to emotional extremes, she says. And you might be able to replay the same issues with a better outcome after realizing how much the your partner means to you.