Your wife wants time alone. Since she told you, your mind has been racing with what exactly that means to you and to the future of your marriage. You want to believe that she’s simply saying she needs time to evaluate where her own life is heading and that your marriage is still a priority in her life. But the truth is that when a woman says she wants or needs time by herself it’s because she’s not happy with the man she’s with. It doesn’t mean the marriage is doomed though. It does mean that you need to get busy changing things so she’ll feel closer to you again.

When your wife wants time alone it’s very important for you to validate that. Not taking it seriously or pretending her feelings will magically change won’t help you at all. She’s telling you what she’s feeling and what she requires from you and this is an opportunity for you to step up to the plate and to become the husband that she wants and needs.

Listen to what she shares with you and then really absorb it and treat it as a lesson in how to be a better partner. Ask her about her desire to have time alone and what she feels is lacking in your relationship. It’s a hard conversation for any man to have with his wife, but it’s a crucial one. You need to hear honestly where things have gone wrong for her and what she feels is missing in the marriage.

Holding onto her too tightly right now is tempting but you have to resist the urge to do that. If your wife wants time alone you must give it to her regardless of how challenging that is for you. This is a true test of how much you love her and you need to look at this from a more positive place.

If a couple takes some time apart it can redefine their relationship. They suddenly have a chance to see what their life is like without the other person. Consider the fact that if your wife needs time alone it could change the way she sees you and your relationship with one another. She’ll miss you and when a person misses another they tend to focus on the positive things about that person and their negative qualities fade into the background.

As long as you continue to stress to your wife how much you love her throughout all of this, she’ll never doubt it. In many cases it takes some time apart for a couple to come back together stronger and more committed to one another than they’ve ever been before.