Why Relationships Matter

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Living with an ex can trigger jealousy, sadness, and confusion.

Having feelings after a breakup doesn’t mean ending the relationship was a mistake.

Clear boundaries can help you live together without slipping back into being a couple.

In an ideal world, when a relationship comes to an end, you get to pack up your things and go your separate ways. You figure out how to communicate if you have children, but for the most part, you get ample space to create new routines and to process the breakup.

But the world is far from ideal, and breakups are rarely that simple.

Sometimes the relationship ends, but neither one of you can move out. You might own a house or be stuck in a lease together, or perhaps you just don't have enough money to afford two households. There may be children involved, caregiving responsibilities, health concerns, or a hundred other practical reasons why separating your lives isn't as simple as packing a bag and walking out the door.

And how your relationship ends can complicate things even further.

Best-case scenario, you have an honest conversation and agree the relationship has run its course. You’re both sad that it’s over, but there’s no hostility between you. You agree that until one of you can move, you will be roommates.

Or maybe they end things even though you want to keep trying. Now you're sharing a home with someone you still love while trying to accept that they don't want to be with you anymore. Or it might be the other way around: You don't want the relationship anymore, but they don’t want to let you go.

And then there's the breakup that comes after years of fighting, resentment, disappointment, and hurt. You’re both exhausted and completely certain it’s........

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