Is Breaking Up Hard To Do? Break Up Rules And Help For Breaking Up With Your Boyfriend!

In the movies, you might do it by slapping the man in crowded restaurants or by dramatically splashing a glass of water on his face! But as tempting these methods might seem, in real life ending a relationship, demands more ladylike and dignified decorum.

NEVER RESORT TO VIOLENCE

No matter how justified your fury, don't shed your sophisticated demeanor for someone who obviously won't value your emotions. Christine, an office employee, says, "I caught my boyfriend making out with another woman in the office. I was so furious that I slapped him thinking at least he was humiliated in front of others. Unfortunately, the next day, it was me who was the butt of all office jokes. It was really unfair."

DON'T GO HI-TECH

Yes, it's the age of being gadget savvy, but ending a relationship is still a personal and painful experience and it deserves an explanation in person. So don't try and get off lightly with a SMS or a cold e-mail saying 'I'm sorry but it's over!' "A friend of mine was involved with a guy for six years, before he went abroad to work," shares Riya Sehgal, an interior designer. "They were practically engaged. But suddenly she got an e-mail from him saying he had changed his mind and couldn't go through with the wedding. He didn't even have the guts or the decency to come down personally." E-mails, SMS or even telephone calls are insensitive ways to end a relationship.

CHOOSE THE LOCATION WISELY

Professing your love for someone else in the middle of your wedding function is something that should happen only in the movies! Humiliating a man by dumping him in public isn't fair. Restaurants, offices or parties aren't the right venues for heartbreak. Choose some place that's private and neutral. The only exception to the rule will prevail if he has a violent streak and you are in danger of physical assault. In that case, go public.

DON'T TELL HIM BE THE LAST TO KNOW

Getting involved with someone else before you've ended your current relationship is possibly the worst way to break someone's heart. And no matter how well you justify, it still amounts to cheating. So don't let him find out through someone else that you'e having second thoughts. End the relationship with the respect and dignity it deserves.

ALLOW HIM HIS SHARE OF DRAMATICS

Be patient with tears, tempers, late night phone calls, drunken visits. Re-iterates Meghna, "I broke up with my boyfriend because our relationship had no future. It came as a total shock to him. Naturally, he couldn't accept it and he still calls me everyday. But I owe him that much, so I'm being patient."

DON'T CONFUSE HIM WITH CLICHES

'Let's be friends', 'I love you but I'm not in love with you', 'You deserve someone better' or 'It's not you, it's me' are not only confusing but contradictory ways to break his heart and save your face. Don't give him false hopes just to appease your conscience. Have the courage to be honest and open about your feelings and make a clean break without being brutal.