In a futuristic world, you probably wouldn't have to train your mind in order to learn how to forget someone. It would be easy to just wipe your memory and continue with your life as if nothing has happened. While erasing a part of your past and feelings is not possible at the moment, it is also not considered healthy. Although it hurts way too much to handle, experiencing a breakup teaches you many things about yourself. When you are truly ready to push someone out of your life for good, you'll discover how resourceful you really are. As it follows, we will cover 10 practical ways to forget about someone that you can apply immediately.
Get Closure to Start Fresh
Any trace of doubt that makes you think you can get back together with your ex is unhealthy. The same goes for everything you left unsaid. If not long has passed since the breakup, you can contact this person and discuss what still bugs you. Don't get your hopes up if he or she responds in a positive way. You two are probably looking for the same thing.
Conversely, if too much time has passed since you two broke things off, then it is recommended to write your thoughts in an email or letter and either send it or throw it away. The purpose is to accept that nothing else can be done and close that chapter in your life.
Accept Your Relationship Is Over
Hope dies last and that's not a cliché thing to say. It is as real as it gets. That's why you must be completely honest with yourself and stop hoping. How to forget about someone if you are still imagining dialogues, looking at pictures together, and revisiting the same places? It's practically impossible because your mind responds to the same stimuli.
What you can do is look around your living space as well as your workspace and remove everything that reminds you of him or her. Holding on to objects that reflect a part of your past that's causing you pain is not good for you right now. Also, by storing them or giving them to charity, you take another step towards healing.
Allow Yourself to Grieve
Numerous psychologists compare the feelings we experience after a breakup to the feelings we have when someone dear passes away. Losing someone has such a profound impact on us that grieving is a must. In other words, don't force yourself to act normal and do everything you'd usually do. Not for a while at least. There's no ideal time to grieve. Everyone feels things differently.
So, if watching romantic movies, crying, and eating ice cream is what you feel like doing, do it! However, try not to fall in the other extreme where you get depressed and do nothing good for yourself.
Take an Objective Approach
Do you want to know how to forget someone more easily? Take an objective approach to your relationship. After a breakup, your mind is flooded with the best memories. You don't seem to remember all the bad times and incompatibilities that led you to this moment. That's why a great exercise would be to think about whether or not your needs were met. In addition, ask yourself how much of the time spent together was really bringing you joy. Try to delimit true facts from imaginary bits that your mind is exaggerating right now. You weren't happy overall and it's time to admit it.
Although numerous people choose a toxic relationship over being single, you shouldn't fall in the same trap. You are a self-sufficient being who doesn't have to compromise just for the sake of being part of a couple.
Adjust to Being Single Again
Take being single as an opportunity to be selfish. When you are part of a couple, you often make compromises, sacrifices, nice things for the other person, and leave yourself last. Now that you are single, you can think about what you want to do and do it. We understand you might not feel like doing anything right now, but try and acknowledge the fact that you can enjoy yourself even if the dearest person in your life is no longer beside you.
When you are doing something that you like, you no longer have to think about how to forget about someone you care about. That thought will not even cross your mind because you'll be focusing on your current activity.
Distract Yourself From Your Past Life
When you keep living in your head and don't change anything tangible in your life, it's impossible to move on. Break your habits! Try a new route to work next morning. Treat yourself with a nice lunch. Don't just go back home after work. Interact more with your work colleagues and maybe share a ride home for once. Or, you could explore your surroundings, take a stroll in nature, or go on a shopping spree.
You can change little details in your life every day. When you are ready, you can engage in new activities. You can find distractions that will take your mind off your past relationship. Pick up a new hobby although you don't feel enthusiastic about it.
Reconnect With Your Friends
How to forget someone who is no longer an active part of your life? By reconnecting with your friends. As much as you wanted to keep the bond between you and your friends strong during your last relationship, you were most certainly less involved in their lives. While that's understandable and something we all do, you have no excuse to avoid them now.
Your friends are people who care for you and want the best for you. They can help you re-integrate in long-forgotten circles or convince you to join them in fun activities. They are your support group and they have surely missed you.
Wait for the Right One
Rebound relationships are the first thing that comes to mind in way too many cases. Unfortunately, they are not effective. What we are trying to do is to feel attractive, interesting, and appreciated again. Since your special someone broke things off with you, you might feel inferior to many. However, that's far from the truth. What brought you in this situation in the first place was incompatibility. So don't just jump into meaningless relationships hoping your new partner will cure you. It's not fair to him or her, and it's not the answer to your problem.
Practice Mindfulness to Escape Your Thoughts
Isn't it amazing how your mind can wander even if you are physically doing something? You can use your mind to remember a moment of your choice and live it again and again. While this is an amazing ability, it is not always beneficial. That's why you should practice mindfulness when you find yourself thinking about the same excruciating experience over and over.
Mindfulness means living in the moment, observing what your body does and the details about your surroundings. More specifically, try and acknowledge that you are in a certain place, doing a certain thing and concentrate on that. Hit pause on your train of thoughts.
Make Changes to Your Living Space
Another suitable advice on how to forget about someone is to redecorate your apartment or switch things up a bit. Regardless if you've lived together in your apartment or not, it would be practical to make some changes. This is because you already have too many memories with that exact setting. So, improve your wall-painting skills and do some furniture shopping. When you're done, you can invite your friends and family over and create new memories.
Summary
In order to forget someone, you must use your rational side as well as a few psychological tricks. Don't clutter your mind with bad memories. Instead, fill it with new memories and focus on your well-being.