At some point a relationship may become stale.

Then it’s time to sniff out what’s working and what’s not. When sex starts to feel like a chore, and the little things that you never noticed before begin to irritate you. You suddenly notice that he chews his food obnoxiously loud and his facial expressions are over the top and widely unnecessary. When his affectionate advances feel like a buzzing fly in the heat of summer, rather than a loving action.

Sure, these are all things you can learn to live with and every relationship can go through the post-honeymoon stage where you’re not always on the same page. But what about when you start noticing the bigger things that just aren’t working? Like the fundamental differences between the two of you that you know, deep down, won’t work in the long run?

You probably still love him, but what should you do if your relationship has entered into this worrisome stage? Do you stay and work on it and hope for the best? Or do you acknowledge that you’re not right for each other and move on?

With every failed relationship that I have had, there is always a point at which the relationship should have ended—and the point at which it actually ends. It can seem easier to just drag it out until you can’t stand each other and then end it. But it’s actually much more beneficial to cut all ties when you realize that you don’t want this person by your side next week, let alone for the next fifty years.

Ask yourself the following to determine if you should work on it—or walk away:

Are you only dating him still because you’re too frightened to disrupt the comfortable and familiar situation you are in?

Are you holding on to him because you’re afraid that he will find someone else and be happier?
You may not want him anymore, but the thought of seeing him with someone else glues you to the relationship. As it stands, you would rather be unhappy with him than unhappy without him.

Are you staying in hopes that his fundamental core values will suddenly change for you?
If his views, opinions and actions are deeply ingrained within him, chances are he will never change. He may do a good job of hiding them in the beginning or when you call him out, but those troubling elements of his personality are likely here to stay.

Are you scared that you won’t be able to find someone better to date?
This is a fear that often stems from insecurity when you’re in an unhappy place. However, once you rid yourself of an expired relationship, you will begin to heal and all of those feelings of insecurity and desperation will begin to dissipate over time.

Although it may seem like a safe bet to hold on to someone because of these reasons, in reality it is very destructive to you and your partner. If you hold on to an expired relationship, you limit yourself from finding a better match for you. Eventually, you will also begin to harbour anger and resentment within yourself because your heart knows it’s time to check out. How can you possibly move forward in life when you’re clutching something that should be left in the past?

It’s much easier said than done, but the sooner you evaluate the truth behind your negative feelings towards your partner and make the decision to move on, the happier you will be.

K. T. Edwards is the author of the number 1, best-selling book on iTunes, Whatever Happened To Romance?  She pursued her love of writing by graduating from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada with a degree in Media Production and English. She is a frequent contributor to Thought Catalog, Buzz Feed, and Elite Daily among other dating advice platforms. Download her humorous, nonfiction narrative, Whatever Happened To Romance? on iTunes, Kobo, Kindle or order a hard copy on Amazon.