How to Move On From a Loved One

• Denying these feelings won’t help. Even if you try to ignore them, the bad emotions won’t disappear. Suppressing them only increases the risk of a breakdown later on.
• If you’re someone who needs a physical release, consider taking up a fitness class or channeling your frustrations by hitting a punching bag or training dummy.

• Anger is just an accompanying emotion. The feelings masked by your anger may include disappointment, being ignored, discarded, unloved, and rejected. All these emotions make you feel hurt, and you've used anger as a way to self-soothe.
• To uncover the emotions behind your anger, listen to what you tell yourself. If you say, "No one will ever love me again," it might signify feelings of abandonment or lack of love. Pay attention to your thoughts throughout the day to identify the other emotions you're experiencing.
• Additionally, anger can often become obsessive. If you constantly your ex or someone you like with friends or dwell on every little "mistake" they made, your mind will be flooded with thoughts of them. In other words, anger will keep you stuck instead of moving forward.

• People tend to crave comfort food when they're feeling down. Research has shown that intentional indulgence usually causes no harm, as long as you know your limits and don't neglect your health.
• This means you should set boundaries for yourself. If you end up in debt, stockpile junk food, or gain 18 kg, these things will only make you feel worse. Spoiling yourself within your means is fine, but avoid anything that harms your health, as it will hurt you more than help.

• Science has shown that music has healing effects. It can lower heart rates and alleviate stress.

• Typically, the feeling of numbness is due to exhaustion. Crying, like other draining emotions, can leave you completely worn out both physically and mentally. After processing these emotions, you may simply not have the energy to feel anything else.

• A friend who offers helpful advice is a great option for sharing your troubles, but any friend willing to listen can still be of great help. Expressing your emotions is just as important as solving your current problems.

Give yourself time if you're still struggling to talk about your relationship. The counselors at Crisis Text Line suggest, “Openly discussing your personal relationship isn't easy, and it requires courage. Try practicing what you want to say before talking to friends or family about the sensitive issue. Or, you can write down what you plan to say so you don’t forget, or ask them to set aside some time to talk with you. Remember, you should only do this when you’re ready. If you need more time to think, that's perfectly fine.”

• You can use your journal to express emotions or events you’re too scared to share with others.

• Set a specific day or time frame. Give yourself about half the duration of your previous relationship or the time you spent pursuing the person you liked. During this period, feel free to be sad. Afterward, push yourself to move forward, even if you're still feeling down.

• Of course, this can be difficult if you’re colleagues or classmates. In such cases, the best approach is to limit interaction to what’s absolutely necessary for your daily life. You don’t need to change your life just to avoid the person you want to forget, but you also shouldn’t intentionally involve yourself with them.

Your brain needs time to accept that your ex has gone. Amy Chan, founder of Renew Breakup Bootcamp, explains: "When you're in a relationship, your brain gets used to receiving happiness-boosting dopamine whenever you interact with that person. After the breakup, your neural pathways have to reorganize to adjust to the fact that you’re no longer dating. Over time, if you avoid contact with your ex, these neural connections will weaken. However, every time you meet them, read old messages, or check their social media, you're reactivating those old connections in your brain."

• If you can’t resist the urge to check their social media while still being friends or followers, unfriend or unfollow them.
• If they’ve ever shared their password with you, ask them to change it to remove the temptation to stalk or spy on them.

• Don’t sleep with your ex because of "old feelings" or become "friends with benefits" with someone you like.
• In reality, "forgetting" someone is never easy for either gender, but it’s especially difficult for women. Physical bonding triggers the release of Oxytocin, a hormone that increases feelings of intimacy and affection. So, if you do this, you won't be able to "get them out of your mind"; you’ll only become more emotionally attached to them.
• Emotional closeness can be just as damaging, even if you were previously intimate. This kind of connection runs deeper, making it extremely hard to break up with your ex.

• Usually, the best approach is to put all those items in a box and store them until you have enough courage to move forward. Instead of throwing them away, you could also return certain items like CDs, DVDs, etc., to the person.
• In reality, no matter how desperate you might feel, you shouldn't throw away or even burn everything to free yourself. Once something is gone, it's gone forever. You might regret tossing an expensive watch or burning a signed photo of your favorite singer that you once saw with your ex. Even later, you might regret doing so.

• Don't force yourself to reconnect. If you can't forget the pain and rekindling the relationship makes everything more difficult, then you don’t need to do it.
• Only start reconnecting when you've fully accepted the reality and no longer have any lingering romantic feelings. Experts suggest beginning the grieving process and avoiding the person for a while. Then, sit down and have an honest conversation about your potential friendship.
• Limit your efforts. Try extending the friendship once. If it doesn’t work, accept that reconnecting is impossible and move on.

• Stay active. Physical activities are some of the best things you can do while trying to forget someone. On the other hand, lounging on the couch day after day can make you feel worse about yourself.

• Your friends may also appreciate it, especially if you haven’t paid much attention to them lately due to being caught up in a relationship or pursuing someone else.
• However, avoid letting your friends pressure you into a new relationship before you're ready.

• New people are like new opportunities. Sometimes, a new relationship can be even better because there's less pressure, and you won't have to worry about the heartbreak of the past.

• Take time to do things you enjoy, especially those activities you almost stopped doing when you were in a relationship with your ex or trying to impress someone you liked.
• Don't place all the blame on yourself. Understand that you two simply weren't meant to be. It's not your fault, and you are still worthy of love.

• Rushing into a hurried or patched-up relationship will only leave you feeling worse, especially when you realize you're close to someone with whom you have no real feelings.

• The suggestions above are relevant for those trying to forget someone they had unrequited feelings for or their ex.
• The most important thing to remember is that healing takes time. Keep yourself busy and regularly care for yourself. You'll stop crying, hurting, or thinking about them before you even realize it.