Your husband wants a break. Any time a man says this it leaves the woman in his life confused and rejected. It’s hard to define exactly what it means but it’s obvious that for the time being, he’s just not feeling any fulfillment within the relationship. You have one chance to handle this situation in exactly the right way. Doing anything wrong can result in your spouse pulling farther away until he feels his only recourse is to file for divorce. You don’t want that to happen.
Your initial and expected reaction when your husband wants a break is to fight against it. Because you feel so shocked and saddened by his need for space you’re bound to say and do things that will make you look desperate. Telling him that you can’t live without him or that he’s abandoning you feels right but that will cause a divide that you may never be able to fix. As difficult as it is, you have to try and be strong and remain calm and in control of your emotions.
Surprisingly when he tells you that he wants to move out and try a separation, you should agree with him. You’ll be able to make a lot more headway if you support him right now. Part of the reason he’s seeking solace away from you is you two probably argue a lot. He may be tired of all the conflict and in his mind he believes that if he’s no longer living with you, that he won’t have to face that type of tension. If you launch into defense mode in an effort to get him to stay it will only increase the conflict level and he’ll feel even more justified in leaving.
Most women don’t fully recognize the influence that absence can have on a man’s feelings. Your husband hasn’t had the opportunity to truly miss you yet. He sees a break from you as being a way to a better life. Once he’s spending all his time alone with his thoughts, his attitude will likely dramatically change.
In the meantime, stop focusing on him and start focusing more on yourself. If there are qualities about yourself that you know need improving, get to work on those. Spend time with the other people you love and enjoy your life. Let your husband see the best in you again and he’ll be flooded with memories of all the wonderful moments you two have shared.
Remember that sometimes a little time apart is all a man needs to realize what he’s at risk of losing. Keep your wits about you and your emotions under control. If you can do that, you’ll keep your self esteem in place and you’ll stand a very good chance of getting your man to come back home.