Dating expert reveals five signs you should leave your relationship

Walking away from a failing long-term relationship can be difficult.

And a lot of the time, people stick around in comfortable romances because they're more fearful of being alone.

Or they come up with other excuses for their unhappiness. 'It's just a bad time'. 'We've both been stressed'. 'We're going through a rough patch'.

However, a dating expert has revealed five of the most prominent indicators that the spark that was once there between you and your other-half has fizzled out.

Taking to TikTok, dating coach Paige Moyce even went one step further by encouraging disappointed daters to pack their bags sooner rather than later...

Reassessing your relationship every now and again is vital. (Witthaya Prasongsin/Getty)

Staying for reasons other than your happiness

As we say, people often make hundreds of excuses as to why their relationship isn't quite going to plan - whether it's blaming work, the children, or money.

Paige emphasises, however, that your own individual happiness should be the only factor dictating whether or not you want to be with that person.

"Maybe you're staying for the kids, maybe you're staying because you fear being alone or you don't want them with anyone else," she says.

"Maybe you're staying because you are scared of what it would look like to leave, or you don't want to hurt that person."

Whatever the reason, however, if your happiness does not come near the top of the list of reasons to stay, you need to get yourself out of there.

Communication turns into conflict

Do you and your partner struggle to communicate without getting into an argument? (Getty/Tara Moore)

If you're unable to have an adult conversation with your partner about a serious matter without everything dissolving into chaos, Paige says your relationship might be a lost cause.

"All this does is drive a bigger and larger wedge between you and this person," the expert claims. "If our needs are not being met, then how long is this relationship going to last for?"

Loneliness

They say that in any great partnership, you should always feel you can depend on the other person to be there for you when you need them.

If you've noticed that the feeling of loneliness seems to be occurring more frequently - whether that's spending evenings on your own in front of the TV, not being asked about your day or turning up to events without them - it might be time to reevaluate things.

Do you feel lonely in your relationship? (Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty)

"Just because we are physically with someone, doesn't mean we are emotionally with someone," Paige says. "If you're honest, when was the last time you felt special in this relationship? When was the last time you felt valued?"

It might be hard, but you need to ask yourself these questions in order to know whether you're staying in the relationship for the right reasons.

Losing your individuality

Apparently, becoming dependant on your other-half and forgetting all the special things that made you you prior to meeting them is another huge red flag.

Paige says that it's unhealthy to put all of your partners needs above your own, as a relationship is a team effort.

She adds: "Because you have prioritised the other person, you are now left wondering what it is that you want, which can leave you feeling overwhelmed."

Sound familiar?

Losing your individuality could be a sign that the relationship is over. (Getty/Jamie Grill)

Secretly wanting to leave

The last item on Paige's list is, if you received a magic wand with the option to leave the relationship knowing you'd be OK in the end, you would take the opportunity.

"If someone could guarantee that you could get through it, that it wouldn't be hell, that you would be happy again, that you would meet someone else and that would be confident again, you would take it," she tells viewers.