What Happens When You Take a Break From Your Relationship?
Langlais, M., & Elias, E. (2026). When Love Pauses: Examining the Physiological Consequences of Temporary Breakups. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 25(1).
The Question
When a couple takes a temporary break rather than ending things for good, does that pause carry real costs for a person's mood, self esteem, and physical health?
Who They Studied
102 college students, mostly women in their late teens and early twenties, who had all experienced at least one temporary break in a relationship and looked back on that experience for the study.
What They Found
Self esteem dropped noticeably during the break and returned to roughly its starting point once the break was over, so a dip during a break does not appear to be permanent.
Not agreeing on clear rules ahead of time, and having limited contact during the break, were both linked to more trouble sleeping, appetite changes, trouble concentrating, and pulling back from usual activities.
Taking a break specifically to work through unresolved relationship issues was tied to more anxiety, more depressive symptoms, more stress, and lower self esteem than other reasons for the break.
Taking a break mainly to focus on personal growth was also linked to more anxiety, stress, and trouble concentrating, though it was tied to staying somewhat more active.
Breaks taken because of long distance, or simply to test whether the relationship could last, were not clearly linked to these effects, suggesting the reason behind a break matters as much as the break itself.
What This Means For You: If you and a partner are considering a break, the uncertainty around it, more than the break itself, seems to be what takes a toll. Agreeing on clear expectations about contact and boundaries before the break starts may protect both your mood and your physical health during that time. And if the break feels harder than you expected, that dip in self esteem and wellbeing is a common response, one that tends to ease once the break ends.
Disclaimer: Research findings describe patterns across groups, not predictions about any one relationship.