Regardless of who you are, breakups are often very difficult. Moving on from a breakup can seem absurdly difficult. The older we get, the more complicated it seems to be. High school and college relationships seemed like they would last forever at the time. But as time goes on, the less of an impact they have on us. However, with relationships going on past your twenties, into your thirties and beyond, things genuinely begin to mean a lot more. But as with our younger selves, breakups still tend to happen no matter how old you get. Moving past them is a life-saving skill.

Keep yourself busy

It may seem like you’re ignoring the problem to say this, but I promise it’s not! When you stay busy with hobbies, activities, and social gatherings, moving on from a breakup is easier to handle. You’re stopping your brain from dwelling on negative elements which you cannot change. By being busy and seeing friends, you are focusing more on positive elements. But I can’t lie. Before you launch into learning knitting, treehouse-building, or figuring out eSports, you must take some time to mend. Take some time off work and escape somewhere to have some alone time if that is how you best recover. If you process things better with friends, have some of them over for a get-together. Self-care is important, and it varies person to person.

Re-evaluate your priorities

The thing with adult relationships is that you typically start building a life together with them. That could be as small as keeping things at each other’s places, rescuing a dog, or buying a house together. Another way to keep yourself busy while also remaining productive would be to begin separating your life from your ex’s as best as you can. If it bothers you that you might run into them at the supermarket, pick a different store for a while until it’s less painful. Though rather immense, another plan could be to see if you could transfer your job or find another one elsewhere. It’s not the normal thing to do, but sometimes the best thing to do is to completely avoid being around remnants of your ex. And a different change of scenery and social circle could do wonders.

Rearrange your Netflix

Remember how difficult it was to decide on a show or movie on Netflix? Talk about serious commitment. Now that your ex is out of the picture, you have full reign of the remote. Pick all the action-adventure, drama, or rom-coms that your heart desires. No one is around to judge you or say that it’s “not your turn to pick”. If you are in charge of the Netflix or know the person who is, get the password changed. It may seem harsh, but that way you won’t see what your ex is choosing. It’ll avoid further reminders of them.

Get back out there

Perhaps the hardest part of moving on from a breakup is getting into another relationship. There is no precise time limit that you must spend single before finding someone else. Everyone takes different amounts of time to heal and gain back their confidence. But when you feel ready, hop on an app and check out the attractive single people in your area. If nothing else, it could help entice you to put yourself out there. But it’s crucial to remember you create your own happiness. Your ex didn’t take it with them. Nobody can give it to you. People can create pleasant memories for you, but you alone must work on becoming content. But it doesn’t help to have someone new along for the ride!