"There's plenty more fish in the sea." or "When one door closes, another door opens."

These are the sorts of things people say when a relationship you thought was a good one comes to an end. But do you really find these phrases helpful in that moment?

It's almost like the person saying is skipping over their discomfort at a time when in your emotions are all over the place! They mean well of course, otherwise they'd not be your friends!

For you, you're going from being in a relationship with a future, dreams, hopes, possibly a home, shared assets, maybe even children or pets. And then it's over. There are so many emotions coming at you in one single day, it can leave you exhausted. You will be feeling like you have so many 'balls' in the air right now, you might just need a friend to sit by you, not offering comments or cheering you up, just sitting… being present for you.

Well-meaning friends and family might say things like, "I never liked them anyway," or ''you can do better than ….'' But are these phrases really that helpful?

What would you rather hear from them? I’d love to compile a list of genuinely helpful and supportive things to say to someone when their relationship ends. I think we could all learn how to be better at supporting people during these tough times.

People often need time to process and grieve their relationship before thinking about the next one. There are usually many administrative tasks to handle—selling a home, finding a new one, relocating. The last thing they might want to think about is finding a new relationship.

Let's improve our language together on how to support someone whose relationship has ended. What’s the worst thing someone has said to you when one of your relationships ended? And what would have been more helpful to hear?

If it's your relationship that's come to an end, and you'd like someone to talk to… then do book in for a free call, totally confidential of course.