One of the best pieces of advice my mother ever gave me was when my significant other broke up with me. I was devastated, couldn’t eat, and didn’t want to do anything, let alone start thinking about how to be happy again. She looked me right in my tear-filled eyes and said, “You get a week, one week to be as sad as you want, and then it’s time to start moving on.” Now this may seem harsh, but looking back it’s the best tough love advice I’ve ever gotten. So, let me be your mother here and help you figure out how to get over your ex in one week.
CRY
Seriously, it’s okay. Your heart just got broken into a million pieces, so let it out. Cry in the shower, cry to some music, or put a girly movie on and literally just bawl your eyes out. This is your one week to cry as much as you want and no one will judge you.
TWEAK YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA
You’re already crying; do we really need to cry more when we open social media? Nope. Do what you need to do from deleting your ex completely to just blocking them until you can handle it again. Trust me, the last thing you need is to end up social media stalking your ex at 2am when all of a sudden you get sad. They are out of your life and it’s A-OK!
GET RID OF ALL THAT RELATIONSHIP SH*T
Yep, that movie stub you kept just because (I mean, do we ever really have a reason to keep these?), that card he got you for your birthday, all the pictures around your room (or the background on your phone), say bye-bye. You do not need any reminders of what used to be.
SLIGHTLY MAKE-OVER YOUR LOOK
Now this doesn’t mean you’re changing everything about you. Start small. That Pinterest hair-do you’ve been debating for months – go get it! Do something that makes you feel your best, and be the most confident you that you can be!
TIME FOR A GIRLS NIGHT
Grab that bottle of wine and every candy, ice cream, chocolate bar, and bag of chips. Throw on a movie and call all your girls up. Cuddle up in those blankets and let the girl talk begin. Nothing lifts your spirit quite like some genuine girlfriends engaging in girl talk until 4 am.
STAY BUSY
Whether it’s watching a movie, going to the mall, or reading a good book, stay busy and preoccupied. Not only will this allow you to forget all about the ex, but it also gives you some extra family time or me time that you need.
DON’T OVERTHINK IT
You broke up and that sucks, but it’s as simple as that. As much as you wanted it to work, it didn’t, and that’s okay. It hurts now, but overthinking it and dwelling on the what ifs will not help you. The best thing you can do is say, “Everything happens for a reason,” and leave it at that.
GET FRISKY
No, I am not saying that the week after you’re single you should go to the bar and hope to find the one. But you should give yourself that little oomph you’ve been wanting. Try harmlessly flirting with your barista, or watching something risky like 50 Shades of Grey, because there’s no harm in having a little fun since you are single now.
Getting over someone you thought was the one or saw a future with is never easy, but when you put on your big girl pants and really get to it, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish… even getting over your recent ex. Good luck, collegiettes, and stay smiling!