It's always a sad thing when a relationship ends if you weren't the one who wanted it to end. It's easy to say the best way to get over it is pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get on with life, but anyone who has gone through a breakup knows it simply is not that easy. You need time and a plan. Here is my 5 step guide to recovering from a breakup.
Delete and (if necessary) block your ex from social media websites in order to avoid “cyberstalking,” or “checking in” that will hold you back from moving on. Even if you and your ex plan to be friends, give yourself some space and time from the person first.
It’s possible that you spent a lot of time with your significant other, so your schedule may be more open than it was before. Take this time to pick up something you’ve been interested in, start a hobby, or spend time reconnecting with your friends.
It may be tempting to jump straight to flirting with your cute coworker that’s been giving you looks for the past six months, but make sure you give yourself time to heal and get over your past relationship. You don’t need a relationship, flirtationship, or hook up to keep yourself occupied or to be whole.
We, as people, have the tendency to generalize an experience. We see our past relationship as “good” or “bad” and our partner as “good” or “bad.” Realize that your former partner is just as human as you are, and that they had both good and bad qualities. Realize that there’s a reason you fell for them, but there’s also a reason you split up.
Break-ups can be painful, and it’s usually not easy to lose someone who has been a big part of your life for a long time. Make sure to take care of yourself in whatever way you feel necessary. If working out helps, do it. If being introverted for a while and bingeing on junk food helps, then do it. Coping techniques are not the same for everyone, and however you decided to do it is okay.