YES! FALLING OUT OF LOVE - SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS WE HAVE TO!
Did life give you a bag of lemons? Does the
"perfect" mate think you are better off as friends? Although it might
feel like you'll never find somebody better, there are some ways you can move
on. Falling
out of love is as unique to each individual as falling in love, but
here are some healthy ways to cut your emotional ties.
Steps:
1. Make a list of all the reasons it wasn't meant to be. The
number one reason should be that this person is not in love with only you. You
deserve better than to be someone's back-up between flings, and/or ego trip.
Other reasons may include incompatibility, especially when you imagine yourself
spending the rest of your life with this person and remember the ways in which
you clash on a regular basis. Human memory can be selective, and you may find
yourself dwelling on that first kiss in the park, or that time when you laughed
till you almost cried...but also remember the times when you felt sad,
neglected, unappreciated, betrayed, or even deeply hurt.
Knowing your Personality:
See their faults. Nobody is perfect. The longer you hold on
to the idea that this person is perfect, the harder it'll be to get on with
your life. It's completely possible that you're idealizing someone just so that
you can have a fantasy to hold on to. You should accept that this person is not
perfect, and definitely not perfect for you -- because the perfect person for
you would think as highly of you as you do of them.
Think of what you
want from a significant other that you didn't get from this person. Was he or
she arrogant? Selfish? Insincere? Write down the opposites of those traits
(humble, giving, and honest). Not only will you see what this person didn't
have, but you'll learn from this experience and look forward to finding someone
who better suits you.
Ask yourself if it
was really true love you were feeling for this person. Know the
Difference Between Love, Infatuation and Lust. If you recognize that it was
infatuation or lust rather than love, then you will have an easier time letting
go.
2. Remove as many traces of their presence in your life as you can.
This is very, very difficult but also very important. Ask friends and family to
help you sort through things and put anything that reminds you of him or her in
a box. If you want to give these things back to the person, mail them--don't
give it to them in person and torture yourself. An alternative is to bury the
box (presuming it won't contaminate the water supply), burn it (with caution),
or throw it (forcefully) into the dumpster. The physical act of destroying
reminders of them may help your emotional side catch up.
If you lived together, consider redecorating. Even moving
furniture around can help dilute those feelings that will inevitably surge when
you wake up without them next to you. If it's possible and necessary, you might
even consider moving.
3. Distance yourself. You won't want to, but staying close to
someone you want but can't have just isn't healthy. Don't tell the person or
anyone close to them what you are doing, as they might try to convince you
otherwise. Just try to get away for a while. Don't call them, don't go places
where you know they frequent, and make yourself scarce. If you must have some forms
of contact (such as work) respond to messages slowly after a few days. Only
call back when you have a good excuse to get off the phone after a few minutes.
Take the time to reflect on your situation and learn more about yourself.
Distancing yourself is really effective if done well but it
is not something you just try : it will work or it will fail and result in
possibly excruciating pain. Don't attempt to take a step away from someone if
you are bound to be near that person (e.g. working at the same place, in the
same school, being neighbours...) : not talking to someone is not distancing
yourself if you can still see that person, awkwardly say hello every morning,
check out who are his/her new friends and/or love interest(s). Getting news by
any means - including other persons - will only defeat the purpose.
Also, do not forget
to take into account the other person's point of view; there are cases where
the reason of your distancing will be obvious but in other situations that
person may end up not understanding your behaviour. He/She may think you are
sulking or holding a grudge against him/her, will try to find out what is wrong
and may only be confused and blame him/herself for whatever it was. If this
happens, you will be the villain of the story, so you might as well explain
yourself before cutting ties. If you have already made up your mind to end the
whole relationship, you don't have anything to lose.
The object of your
affection might notice you are distancing yourself from them. They may try to
get you to see them more. Say you have been really busy with all of these new
activities. Tell them you have other things to do, too. You must have a life
separate from theirs. Don't answer their calls and don't call them or text
message them. You will be tempted to, but don't. It is far too easy to get
entangled again and think of all the good work you have done to distance
yourself.
Don't assume after
distancing yourself for awhile that you are over it. Be careful to make sure
you are fully over this person before you see the person again.
If this person was an
unhealthy influence in your life (controlling, manipulative, abusive, etc.),
cut them out completely. There's no obligation to stay on good terms with
someone who made your life miserable, even if they didn't mean to. They may try
to make you feel sorry for them in order to keep you wrapped around their
finger. Cut off all ties and move on. Read How to End a Controlling or
Manipulative Relationship.
4. Practice thought stopping, a technique that helps you to become
more mindful and in control of what you think (or don't want to think about, as
the case may be.) When you notice a thought has popped into you about the
individual, say to yourself or aloud, "Stop!", as a reminder to
divert your attention. Visualizing an image such as a stop sign may also help.
Then, choose something else to think about that is pleasant. For example,
notice how the sun feels on your skin or what the breeze feels like passing by.
Look at the clouds in the sky, notice your breath, or the sounds of people
talking around you. Become aware of your body and how you feel in it. These
will all take your mind off of your thoughts of her/ him in a tangible and
effective manner. It takes practice and may feel awkward at first, but with
time it is a very effective way to move on, not to speak of feeling and being
more empowered by having acquired a powerful new skill.
5. Do all the things you've ever wanted to do, that you wouldn't
have done if you were still with this person. Did you always want to take a
tango class, but didn't because he or she "doesn't dance, period" and
you didn't want to go without them? Did you want to go to that car, fashion, or
antique lamp show with your friends, but felt reluctant to spend your day off
with someone other than your love? Did you want to travel to an exotic country,
but your partner didn't want to go because it's too hot/dirty/boring? Maybe--probably--there
are ways in which the relationship held you back. Now is the perfect time to
focus on those missed opportunities. Do whatever you can to feel better about
yourself. Exercise, eat well, take a class, meet people, go to parties, have
fun. Life is too short to spend it pining for someone who doesn't see you for
the great person you are. There are those out there who will.
6. Mingle. While you are distancing yourself from said object of
affection, try to meet new people who share similar interests. If you choose to
date, avoid the temptation to settle for whomever asks you out, just to
distract you from your old flame, or you might end up making someone fall in
love with you whom you don't love back!
7. Understand that the feelings may never fade completely. You
felt close to this person at one point in your life, and while you can
eventually realize emotionally that you've grown apart, you will probably
always have a soft spot for him or her. At some point, it may be possible to
remain friends, but mind the boundaries and don't let your heart fall back into
it.
Tips: You might want to compare everyone to the object of your
affection, and you won't think anyone measures up. Don't be blind to someone's
positive attributes because you're comparing them to another person.
Distancing yourself
includes staying away from the other person on online sites such as Myspace and
Facebook - delete them as a friend, that way you won't receive any updates
inadvertently.
No comments:
Post a Comment