What to Say to My Friend to Help Her Not Look Back at Her Past Relationship

A breakup doesn't just end a relationship. It can destroy your self-worth and leave you feeling lonely and unwanted. It can be a devastating blow to your mental health, especially if you are still in love with your ex. But there are ways to move on and come out of it stronger and healthier.

It can sound easy and even patronizing to suggest that you should think about your mental health when you're at your lowest and deeply vulnerable. It can feel like your whole life's come to a halt. That all your hopes and dreams have turned to dust.

Maybe all you want is to be left alone and figure out what went wrong. Probably you need to analyze all your actions and wonder whether you could have done anything differently to be with the person you still love.

But here's the unavoidable truth: That's never an objective assessment, more so when you're in love with your ex. From "what went wrong" to "it's all my fault" is a quick and painful journey. It's an inward spiral that only worsens the wound.

The only way out of it is to move on. While it may seem impossible, here are five baby steps you can start taking right now.

1. Cut off all communication (Both direct and indirect)

For the sake of your physical and mental health, this is the first thing you've got to do. You don't have to know where they're, or who they're with. Cut off all contact with your ex.

Yes, it can be crushing to be out of their lives. But now the priority is your own journey and they don't have a place in it. It's time to focus on yourself and not on your ex's social plans.

You should also know that there's no way you can be just friends with them anymore. No matter what you may have read or seen, that rarely works out well in real life. It can be a painful and ultimately futile attempt to revive and hold onto a relationship that's ended.

To put it simply, no, you can't be friends with your ex. Maybe years from now, when both of you are in healthier and happier places, probably you can be cordial and even be acquaintances. But right now, you shouldn't try to be in their lives.

So, get out of their social media networks or chat groups. But being actively disconnected is only part of the solution. You shouldn't passively try to be close to them either. You shouldn't check up on their activities through social media or common friends.

Remember, any direct or indirect communication with them will trigger memories of the past and even dreams of the future.  Those are the things that'll pull you back when you should be focusing on moving on.

2. Forgive the past

Understandably, breakups usually fill people with regret and anger. You're constantly thinking about what else you could've done. Or you're angry at your or your ex's behavior. Or even at the circumstances that forced you to act the way you did.

The more you think about it, the more you get pulled into that vortex. If there was betrayal involved, things can get quite problematic. Every time you replay an event or conversation, it would hurtle between regret and anger.

The feelings become intense when you realize that there's nothing you can do about any of it. That creates a vicious cycle of regret leading to anger leading to helplessness leading to regret. This can be traumatic if you still love your ex. In such a situation, you'll be willing to overlook their flaws and find mistakes with your personality.

That's a downward spiral that will prevent you from moving on.

The solution to that's not to disregard the past. You can't forget your way out of such a profoundly emotional experience. What you've got to do is forgive your past. You need to objectively state what happened, either in a journal or through self-talk.

Then you need to forgive your ex's actions and importantly, your own. This isn't a sign of weakness but the utmost strength and maturity. By forgiving the individual and their actions, you're not condoning them. You're merely stating that you won't have any negative feelings toward them anymore.

This can't be a one-off event. Even if you forgive yourself or your ex today, chances are, something might bring back their memories tomorrow. You'll have to consciously forgive again until you begin to recall the events without the underlying emotions of regret or hate.

3. Let's get real

There are two facets to a relationship; the one that's real and the one that's a fantasy. Unfortunately, after a breakup, people tend to hold on to the fantasy more than the reality.

This fantasizing covers both the relationship and the individual involved. So, when you say that you'd love to go back and be with them because it was the most beautiful and fulfilling part of your life, you're not objectively reflecting on the relationship. You're describing a fantasy version of it.

Because if it had been perfect, it wouldn't have ended. Things happened for several reasons. When you look back at your relationship, you'll only be cherrypicking the good parts, leaving out all the bad parts.

The painful parts of the relationship – and the individual responsible for it – may get blurred as you exaggerate the good bits. To improve your mental health, what you've got to do is realistically reflect on the affair.

There might have been a joy in it but there would also have been unmistakable pain. That'll give you the complete picture of what you just went through. It'll also help you develop a realistic version of your ex.

To make this process impactful and long-lasting, you should journal your thoughts. Writing down all the aspects of your relationship will help you form an authentic picture. It'll also guarantee that you don't recreate it any other way tomorrow. When you write down how it truly was, the process will liberate you to move on.

4. Understand that it's natural to still love your ex

It's problematic if you were to suddenly feel hatred for your ex. It's quite natural to have mixed feelings and hate them one second and then lovingly miss them the next. Our emotions don't always follow a linear path. There are ups and downs and some unpleasant turns in between.

So, if you find yourself in love with your ex, don't blame yourself for not being able to move on. Those are the residual emotions from your relationship. What you once felt for them was true and profound and it's not easy to switch off that side of yours when a breakup happens.

In fact, you should tell yourself that it's not a bad thing. The fact that you still feel love only proves that you're human, capable of giving and receiving love.

But what you should also tell yourself is that it's a different kind of love. It's an evolved, mature state of emotions that's different from the possessive aspect of romantic love. This one's about nostalgia, and acceptance.

Think about it this way. It's the love you feel toward a place you may have visited in the past. That trip was good. But you don't have any plans to go back and relive it. You're ready for new adventures.

5. Don't forget to love you

What's the strongest indicator that your mental health is above par? You love yourself. More accurately, you understand, accept, forgive, and empathize with yourself. The reason it's a good reflection of your mental health is that it's one of the hardest things to do.

Especially if you're coming out of a relationship with an ex you're still in love with.

You're extremely vulnerable at this stage, wondering whether you're worthy of love and whether you'll ever find anyone like your ex. The answer is not to look outward but strengthen your inner core.

The key is to change the way you talk to yourself. Get rid of any negative talk and remind yourself that you have everything to light up someone's life and that in turn, that someone will light up your life.

The fact that it didn't happen with your ex is not a reflection of you or your ex. It was due to those exceptional circumstances. You'll continue to attract love because you're filled with qualities that draw people toward you.

In short

Moving on from an ex you still love is important for your mental health. It's a process that will have its good days and bad days. But what you've got to do is remind yourself that things are getting better every day. And that you're shedding the past, getting rid of your emotional baggage, and coming out of it stronger and healthier.

What to Say to My Friend to Help Her Not Look Back at Her Past Relationship

Source: https://www.tikvahlake.com/blog/5-ways-to-move-on-from-an-ex-you-still-love/

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