There's something about the start of a new year that invites you to stop and reflect.

Once the holidays are over and life settles back into routine, issues you've been avoiding can have a way of resurfacing – especially in relationships.

So it may not come as a huge surprise that January is a peak time for separations.

But if the new year has you reassessing your relationship, how can you tell whether it's a rough patch worth working through, or a sign it's time to part ways?