Even if you know that it was the best thing for you to do, it can leave you hurting for quite some time. Many of us are taken off guard with how hard breaking up can actually be mentally, emotionally, and even physically. The support of friends and family is comforting, but the bottom line is that how quickly you are able to bounce back depends on you! You need to follow some really simple tips to help you keep moving forward instead of standing still for too long after the breakup.

How to Keep Moving Forward

Don't waste your time trying to get your ex back, let sleeping dogs lie
If you were left, don't go back because it'll likely just happen again
Take a back seat to going out for awhile to allow time to digest the breakup
Take time to think about what went wrong
Don't assume that you will continue to be friends with your ex
Don't get in touch with your ex, make a clean break
Go through your belongings and get rid of things that are too painful to keep
Don't accept unnecessary calls from your ex
Be prepared for shared friends to possibly distance themselves from you

Talk to your friends about how you feel and allow them to comfort you
Don't tell yourself that you will be single forever, this isn't true
Learn what you can about where the relationship went wrong so you don't repeat
Don't waste time holding grudges
Stay positive
Don't jump right into another relationship. You need time to process the breakup
If you have to, move, as this will give you a much needed fresh start
Treat yourself to a new outfit or two, a new haircut, and a new you

Don't make knee jerk decisions during this time as they will likely be the wrong decision based on emotion instead of logic
Don't attempt to "accidentally bump into your ex" as this won't bring you any comfort and will probably just disappoint you
After a bit of down time, start going out and doing things again in a social manner. Ease into it and you'll find that it fits like an old glove.

These are 20 simple tips that will help you move forward from even the most devastating breakup. You need to remember that everyone processes the pain and trauma associated with a breakup differently. You should allow yourself to feel these emotions but then you need to keep moving forward. Don't get stuck being sad as this will not help you, either! Breakups happen, but when you keep these tips in mind you'll find that you can get back to life in less time than you may have ever thought possible!