It’s a funny thing that most people nowadays still ask this question. But they’re not stupid – being funny and being stupid are very different things. It’s funny because we all know what the answers are, we just can’t fully accept it because it hurts. It still hurts.

1. You have to accept what is happening for you to start moving on.

You have to absorb what you are going through, and yes – you are allowed to cry. Cry it all out. Make a list of the things that went wrong, and then burn it afterwards. Realize that you have done your fair share of effort to make your relationship work. Once you have accepted that you have broken up, it will be a lot easier for you to move on.

2. Talk to your friends, cry to them, and make them understand how much it hurts.

Most of our friends are people that have been with us from the very start, who have seen you change over the course of your relationship(s), and those are the friends whom you need to talk to the most. Make them understand how painful it is, and hug it out. Cry, cry, and cry some more.

3. Watch sappy movies, and cry.

It’s perfectly okay to cry. It’s okay to lock yourself in your room for a few days, just watching a few chick flicks and crying it all out. It’s okay. Believe that it’s going to be okay.

4. Treat yourself.

It’s time for change. Try something new, like going the extra mile. Eat the whole tub of ice cream, finish the box of pizza. Regret it later, or not. Go to the gym, take a yoga class, or take on a new diet. Get a haircut, or a make-over, buy new clothes. Go out and see some movies currently showing at the cinemas, whether you’re alone or with your family and/or friends. Just do it.

5. Spend time with the ones who love you.

Spend time with your family, and with your friends. May it be just laying down in bed and doing nothing, or going out on a beach trip. This is going to be therapeutic for the soul, and it can make you feel whole again – if you let it. I promise. Realize that you still have all the love in the world, from the right people, and from yourself.

6. Forgive them, and then forgive yourself.

Whoever broke your heart probably had their reasons – no matter how shitty it sounds, the same way you have your reasons for still staying and wanting to try again. Forgive them because they hurt you, and try to understand where they’re coming from, from their point of view. Realize that you have also made mistakes, and then forgive yourself. Forgive yourself because you deserve it. You deserve to be happy and to be at peace again. Be at peace with the decisions that have been made, and from there, you can start anew. It doesn’t matter how fast or how slow you move on, the mere factor is that you are moving on, and that is more than okay.