5 Things You Can Do Instead Of Being Sad About Your Ex

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Life moves on, and so should you.

1. Watch.

If you or a friend have a Netflix, an HBO Go, or an Amazon Prime account, then you have a smorgasbord of titles to choose from. Another option is signing up for Hulu Plus for a week, and then canceling before you get charged. Worse comes to worst, you can raid your DVD collection of teenage rom-coms (A Cinderella Story, A Walk to Remember, etc…) and edgy indie films (Memento, Foxfire) that you have accumulated during your youth. Flooding yourself with visual information will temporarily flush out the visual memories of your ex.

2. Listen.

There are multiple options for auditory stimulation. Make a playlist about how angry your ex makes you feel. Try out a new music app since Songza has been swarming with ads ever since Google bought it. Try out Audible, and use your one free credit by downloading Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. Whatever it may be, take the time to listen that isn’t a replay of your last encounter with the spawn of Satan in your head (that’s your ex, if you haven’t caught on).

3. Write.

There are a million and one things you want to tell your ex, and you want to let them know NOW — we’ve all been there. But instead of letting your ex know that you’re dying to talk to him or her, how about writing your thoughts down instead? If paper-and-pen is not your thing, there are numerous apps such as Journalized and Little Memory and confidential blogs such as OhLife that can keep your angry words while still giving you an outlet. And the fact that, in a few months, you’ll get to look back on these notes and see how wrong you were about the world ending with your ex’s departure is just an added delicious bonus.

4. Explore.

When was the last time you went to explore your neighborhood and enjoyed the local jaunts? With the ubiquity of technology in everyone’s daily lives, some fresh air would be a nice change. Just make sure to leave your phone in your car or at home so you won’t be tempted to check if your ex posted anything to Facebook or Twitter… and then obsessively figure out if he or she is trying to send you a subliminal message about rekindling.

5. Talk.

And when all else fails, talk. Talk to your parents, and see what they’re up to. Talk to your friends whom you’ve taken for granted when you made your life all about your ex. Talk to the barista who has served you your cup of coffee every morning. Talk to a stranger. Not only are you giving everyone a chance to get to know you, but you’re also giving yourself a chance to move on.