I recently got dumped by my boyfriend of 2 years. Obviously it’s been a very emotional time for me, and what’s even worse is that I see him all around with his various other girls since we live in a somewhat smaller town. What can I do to get through this?

First of all, stay tough! Break-ups can really devastate our psyches and bring about a lot of drama in our lives. There are countless stories of people that go into severe depression or start unhealthy lifestyle choices while dealing with a break-up. It doesn’t sound like you’re there, so that in itself is something to be proud of. The next thing you need to do is to do as much as you can to emotionally detach yourself from your ex. This is one of the most difficult parts of getting over a break-up, and it could take a substantial amount of time. When you’re in a relationship for a while, it becomes part of your everyday routine, and those behaviors are the toughest to break. Don’t worry if you feel like you’re not making progress at first. Start slowly and stay as consistent as possible.

The key to getting over a break-up is to turn the negative to a positive. Use your new found freedom to focus on things that interest you and make you happy. By focusing on yourself you help yourself in two ways. First, focusing on yourself means that you won’t focus on your ex or your relationship. Second, it means that you’ll be doing things to make you feel good about yourself. One of the biggest challenges when getting over a bad break-up is to regain your self-confidence. By doing things that you feel good about yourself, you’re less likely to get down on yourself and keep it from letting you get on with your life.

It’s important to understand the things that motivate you the most. For some people, they concentrate on the hurt feelings they go through during a break-up. Feeling that pain motivates them to move on so they don’t hurt anymore. Other people cannot function like that, and they choose to focus their mind on anything but the break-up. By keeping it out of their mind they are allowed to move on in a way that is easier for them. The key is to do whatever works best for you depending on your personality. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things in your life. Sometimes those new things can give you a much needed spark and expose you to something new and exciting.

Make sure that you keep the company of good friends as you struggle through your break-up. Having a strong support system is good for everyone, and they can be a huge help in getting your mind in the right place. Whether it’s being there to go out with, or just being there to talk with you through your problems, having people you can lean on in your time of need is important to anybody going through a tough time. In the end, break-ups only make us stronger. It seems like the end of the world, but everything happens for a reason. Focus on how you can make yourself better, and I think you’ll find that the new chapters in your life can be even more fulfilling than the ones you’ve already experienced.