How to Move On from a One-Sided Love

Facing the end of a relationship is never easy, and after experiencing unrequited love, it may feel like everything is going wrong. Many people feel drained and overwhelmed by unreturned love, but in reality, they haven't lost everything. As humans, we have the ability to recover, rejuvenate our spirits, and free ourselves from this distress. Learning how to overcome the shadow of someone from your past and continue living will empower you, making you stronger and more independent, while also preparing you to meet someone who can bring true happiness to your life.

Acknowledge the issue. Many people deceive themselves when they’re in an unhealthy relationship or after experiencing one. They convince themselves that everything is fine, that the other person truly cares for them, and they may wonder whether they made a mistake by ending the relationship. However, you undoubtedly had reasons for ending it. While certain parts of the relationship may have brought comfort and joy, that doesn’t justify or excuse the bad moments.

• Whenever you find yourself questioning whether ending the relationship was the right choice, reflect on the things that caused you pain. Deep down, you might realize that you simply couldn't tolerate certain negative traits, such as emotional neglect or a lack of support.

Allow yourself to feel sad. It is completely normal to feel distressed after ending a relationship, especially when you were not valued or respected within it. You may feel lonely or disconnected, or experience deeper emotions such as feeling worthless, insecure, and doubtful of yourself. These feelings are natural after a relationship ends, and mourning the loss of the connection is a healthy response. However, it is important not to let any negative thoughts about yourself take root.

• Remember that it is not your fault if you were mistreated or overlooked. You have every right to feel upset about the negative experiences you've had, and you don’t need to believe you are somehow responsible for causing those experiences.
• Suppressing your sadness after losing a relationship may lead to even worse emotional states, including depression and anxiety. Don't bottle up your feelings; find healthy ways to release them.

Remember that all pain is temporary. When any relationship ends, it is easy to feel like the sorrow will last forever. But in reality, that is simply not the case. Your emotions following the end of a relationship are temporary, and any feelings of low self-worth are baseless.

• All negative emotions and doubts stem from a lack of confidence, sadness, and fear. They do not come from your actual experiences, nor do they accurately reflect who you are or what you truly deserve.

Seek things that nurture your health. After a bad relationship, you may experience a range of difficult emotions or self-doubt. During this time, the most important thing is to engage in activities that bring you joy and help you feel good about yourself.

• Try to get more physical exercise and spend time outdoors to naturally boost your serotonin and dopamine levels.

Focus on today. You can't overcome emotional pain overnight, nor can you find a perfect relationship overnight. All you can do is be patient, day by day. Focus on improving how you feel today, and little by little, you will make progress. Don’t worry about moving forward or seeking a new relationship until you have fully healed from the difficult and painful stage.

• Do small things for yourself each day to feel better about who you are and boost your confidence in your own worth.
• Don’t try to rush through any stages. All you can do is focus on improving yourself today, and trust that you will be ready for the next relationship at the right time.

Don't lose hope. When a relationship ends, you might hope that things can still be fixed—that the person you care about will recognize their mistakes and learn to love and respect you. Eventually, you realize they won’t change. But when that happens, it’s important not to lose all hope. Simply shift that hope to focus on the future. You will find that you want to move forward, and eventually, you will hope that you can live a happier, more fulfilled life without that person in it.

• Remember that your relationship does not define you. You can and will move on from it, it just takes time.

Look toward the future. Although it might be hard to see right now, by ending an unhealthy relationship, you are setting yourself up to experience greater and more fulfilling happiness in future relationships. You now recognize that your previous relationship was neither healthy nor complete, and that leaving it was the right decision. Once you heal from the pain, you'll feel stronger and happier, and you'll open your heart to even better relationships that you truly deserve.

Decide what you want. Up until now, you've done an excellent job identifying what you don't want in your relationships. But knowing what you do want is just as important. This will help you avoid falling into another one-sided love.

• Remember that people often act in patterns, whether consciously or subconsciously. If you've had a history of one-sided love, stop to examine why you choose such relationships and what prevents you from breaking that pattern.
• Make a list of the qualities and characteristics you desire in a relationship. Then, create another list of what you didn't like in your past one-sided love. Compare the two lists and see if anything in the desired list relates to or may have caused something on the unwanted list.

Remember, you deserve happiness. If you're recovering from a relationship where you weren't loved or respected, you've probably endured a lot of suffering. You may even doubt that you truly deserve happiness. But the truth is, you absolutely deserve happiness – everyone does. You also deserve to have someone who makes you feel good about yourself.

• The fact that the other person didn't love you and treated you poorly reflects their flaws, not yours.

Surround yourself with energetic and joyful people. Everyone should have people in their life who are full of energy and bring joy, and this is especially important after leaving a relationship without love. Keep close those who support you and lift your spirits, while distancing yourself from those who don't return your feelings or friendship.

• When you're ready to start a new relationship, look for someone who makes you feel energized and excited. Support and affirmation are vital and should not be overlooked as you recover from the unhealthy relationship you left behind.

• Remember that moving on from a relationship takes time, and it takes even longer when the relationship was bad or lacking in affection. Be patient, focus on your happiness, and take it one step at a time each day.

• Try to avoid places where you know the other person frequently goes.