How to Move On After a Breakup: 7 Steps

It’s hard to figure out how to move on after a breakup, especially if you’re not really sure what went wrong.

Being broken up with can really catch you off guard, especially if you were dumped by someone you thought you had a future with. 

Breakups happen in all forms. Maybe your ex told you that they were no longer happy with the situation, maybe it was mutual, or maybe one of you was unfaithful. 

No matter how your relationship ended, here’s our top advice on how to move forward and grow from this experience.

Our Advice on How to Move on After a Breakup

  1. Acknowledge that the relationship is over 

This is not a fun step and truthfully, it might be one of the hardest, but it is necessary. If you want to move forward in life, you need to give this chapter complete closure. 

Closing the chapter on a relationship isn’t easy. You go from having another person ingrained into your everyday routine to suddenly missing them entirely. This can leave you feeling sad, depressed and lost. 

While allowing yourself to feel these emotions may be painful, it’s necessary if you want to work out how to move on after a breakup properly. 

Instead of pushing your breakup to the back of your mind, give yourself space and time to mourn your split. Allow yourself to feel upset, angry, whatever emotions brim to the surface. 

Realizing your emotions like this will help you to say goodbye to your relationship and prepare you to look forward to the future. 

  1. Consider boxing any leftover items and hiding them 

You don’t want to throw all your memories away just yet, especially if they’re items of value they might ask you about later. 

Also, if there’s ever a reconciliation in your future, you may regret tossing the old memories. 

It’s hard figuring out how to move on after a breakup if their collection of t-shirts or romantic relationship gifts are everywhere you look, which is why we advise clearing them away for now.

There’s no need to bin all your memories completely however, just put them aside to deal with later, when your breakup isn’t so fresh.

If doing this alone is too painful, why not ask a trusted friend to help you or take care of it for you? Having a tight-knit group of friends is key to moving on from a breakup healthily.

  1. Take up a new hobby

Hopefully, your ex didn’t forbid you to take on a sport or attend a class you wanted to, but if they did, what better way to celebrate the breakup than try something new? 

Learning a new hobby is also an excellent way to meet new people and to stay busy. Don’t worry if you’re not a great athlete or have never tried this particular hobby before, instead find freedom in learning something new. 

Overall, joining a club after a breakup is much less regrettable than getting a breakup haircut. 

  1. Don’t let the breakup cause you to self-destruct

As mentioned, it’s ok to have a mourning period when you’re figuring out how to move on after a breakup, it’s healthy even.

However, a breakup isn’t an excuse to be hard, mean, or unfair to yourself. You deserve to be happy and aren’t required to feel depressed to show the world that you cared for your ex. 

Stay healthy, and try to find good ways to cope. For example, next time you feel the need to post a sad update on Facebook in hopes your ex will see it, take a walk around the block instead. 

Disengage from the internet, and try not to make this split more difficult than it has to be.

  1. Remind yourself that at least one of you was unhappy in the relationship

If you want to get married someday, you should find someone who makes your life better and easier. 

The best couples complement each other and for whatever reason, in your last match-up, something was preventing that outcome. 

Maybe you just weren’t compatible. Or, perhaps you weren’t all that thrilled with the relationship either but feel sad to see it end. 

Whatever the reason for it ending, you deserve someone who boosts you up and makes you feel good about yourself and this person just wasn’t the one.

  1. Spend some time alone

If you’re someone who jumps from relationship to relationship, maybe you should embrace being single for a little bit. 

Being single has some serious perks. When you’re single, you can spend more time understanding what you want and need out of life. It’s a time for you to discover what makes you tick and what brings you joy, a time when you can be guiltlessly selfish 24/7.

Having a partner shouldn’t be the key to happiness — you need to find that within yourself.

Figuring out how to move on after a breakup is a journey and it’s not one size fits all. 

If you’re struggling to move on from your ex, take note of our advice and know that this pain will ease with time. 

Who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself happier than before. The right person is out there, and now you’re finally available and ready to find them. 

About the author: Karen Belz

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