Toxic thoughts, people and situations can bog us down for years in a vicious cycle of bitterness, and in the midst of this stormy state of mind, it’s easy to forget that we have a choice in the matter.

Though it can take a long time to change our thinking habits, Angel Chernoff makes a number of excellent points in this article on six signs it’s time to let go of a relationship (or the memory of one) and start living a much more contented life.