Why a break-up may be good for your career

When Rory McIlroy broke up with Caroline Wozniacki, voices round the world suggested that following the breakup, his career had taken off to previously unknown heights. We look at some of the signs that you may be better off after a break-up:

Hey, good looking

When you're happy in a relationship, it shows. Your face glows, you want to impress your sweetheart by dressing well and you generally exude warmth. But, when the relationship is going downhill, your appearance often takes a backseat simply because you see no point in making an effort. So, if you're suddenly getting complimented on how good you look, it's a sign that the break-up is doing wonders for you.




(Rory McIlroy has seen a career leap following his break-up, Wozniacki seems to be soaring high too.)

You feel free

If you feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders, then don't make that call to your ex to catch up over coffee. If your relationship was causing you anxiety, stress and an overall feeling of unease, breaking up was the right thing to do. A healthy relationship is meant to make you feel secure, not tied down. Don't look at the break-up as an end, look at it as a way to reclaim your life.

Good to be back

Are your friends saying they missed you? If you've been hearing that line often after a break-up, it's because the relationship changed you. An unsuitable partner can sometimes not let you meet up with your own friends or modify the type of person you are in small ways, both of which alienates you from the people you are closest to. So, if you're getting calls to hang out more and meet up, take it as a positive sign.




(Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez achieved tremendous success post their split.)

Trash talk

You think you made a mistake by breaking up with her. You give her a call. What you get after the pleasantries is a one-hour monologue of what a bad, horrible, good-for-nothing scumbag you were. What's more, she's posted not-so-cryptic messages on social media about your break-up. No grown up should handle a break-up like this, so if you've managed to escape her clutches, keep it that way.

You have time

Relationships are not meant to be all consuming. A healthy relationship gives you the freedom to be your own person within being a couple. So, if you suddenly find that you have all this time to yourself, don't mope, but use it to do things that you couldn't do when you were in a relationship. Now is the time to join that "stupid" aeromodeling course or "silly" beat boxing workshop. If a break-up means that you are finally allowed to be your own person, you've done the right thing.




(Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise split acrimoniously, but have since individually grown.)