Being friends with an ex is never easy, especially when you still have feelings for them.
Does that sound like you?
Don’t worry, today, I will show you 17 tips to get over an ex, even when you’re still friends.
I was in the same boat, and these tips really helped me out.
1) Accept that the relationship is over
The first step to getting over an ex is accepting that the relationship is over.
You have to accept that your relationship with this person is different now.
And if you want to get over this person, you need to take a step back for yourself and focus on other things.
Accepting that a relationship is over can be really hard.
I know it’s scary, but take some time to yourself and really let yourself grieve the fact that you are no longer with this person.
Grief is a crucial part of moving on from someone.
When you put off grieving, you are only setting yourself up for failure.
You see, it’s okay to be sad.
Even if you’re still friends, you lost a version of your future where you spend life with them, and that’s extremely sad!
Nobody expects you to be okay right away, so taking time to grieve and cry is totally normal.
And when you are ready, you can start to move on.
This also means that you need to accept that friendship and romance are different.
If you’re trying to get over your ex and still stay friends, you need to let go of the idea that things will be the same they used to be.
It’s a completely different dynamic!
Don’t freak out if it suddenly feels unnatural to be with them, or things are awkward at times.
It’s totally normal!
If you can accept that things are different and that it’s okay to feel awkward, you will have a much easier time getting over your ex.
2) Let go of the past
The next step is to let go of the past.
You need to try your hardest not to keep thinking about the relationship or what went wrong.
But that’s not all, you should also try not to think about what could have been if things had gone differently.
Instead, focus on the present and the future.
After all, your life is not over because one relationship didn’t work out!
There is so much out there for you!
You just need to focus on moving forward and finding happiness in the now.
And I know it’s really hard to do this when you still have feelings for someone who broke your heart (especially when they are still in your life).
But when you try to hang on to your past relationship, you keep it alive and make it harder for yourself to move on.
So what are some things that you can do to let go of the past?
One thing you can try is writing a letter telling your ex how you feel, but not sending it.
Instead, burn it or put it in a box and bury it under a tree or plant something over it.
This way, you get a chance to get all your pent-up emotions out without jeopardizing your friendship.
3) Have you ever been to a psychic?
Until two months ago, my answer would have been no.
But when I came face-to-face with issues related to my breakup, I decided to think out of the box.
Even though I was skeptical about psychics and their knowledge of love, I gave the folks at Psychic Source a try.
It’s one of the best decisions I made.
The advisor I spoke to was kind, understanding, and genuinely helpful.
My love of reading helped me understand an immense amount about where I was going wrong in my love life and how to fix it.
They are incredibly knowledgeable about breakups and can tell you many of the ways to improve your love life and get in line with your romantic destiny right away.
4) Go out and do something you enjoy
Another way to get over an ex you are still friends with is to do something you enjoy.
When you’re at home, all by yourself, your thoughts will just keep going back to them, especially in the early stages of the breakup.
The more time you spend by yourself, the more you’ll miss them.
This is why it’s important for you to go out and do something that interests you even if you don’t always feel like it.
You want to focus on the things that make YOU happy. Remember what got you excited about life in the first place.
If they aren’t a part of who you are anymore, it’s time for you to find something that makes you feel complete again.
When you do things that excite you, it will be much easier to accept that life can be amazing even without them as your partner.
Plus, it will get your mind off of things, so it’s a win-win!
And the best part?
You can do things with your friends! That will be even more fun and will help you feel loved during a difficult time in your life.
5) Just remember why you broke up in the first place
You might think that getting over an ex means forgetting about them, but it’s much more complicated than that, especially when you’re still friends.
That being said, if you do want to get over them, it’s important to remember why you broke up in the first place.
If you broke up with your ex because you just weren’t compatible as a couple anymore, then that is a good starting point.
This doesn’t mean you need to get mad at them or paint them in a bad light, but simply call to mind why things didn’t work out romantically.
Make sure to remember that this person is not a good match for you and don’t let past memories of them keep you from moving forward.
When you do that, it will be easier to spend time with them as a friend without feeling terrible about the breakup.
It might take a while to get over them, but you can do it!
6) Don’t try to get back together
It’s tempting to try and get back together with your ex, especially when you’re still friends.
You might think that if you get back together, the emotions will go away and you’ll be able to move on.
However, that is never the case. You broke up for a reason and unless you both underwent some drastic personal changes, the relationship would end again if you got back together.
If your intentions in this friendship are to get back together with them, stop yourself and take some distance.
Sometimes, you have to realize that the relationship was unhealthy for both of you, and it’s better to move on than to continue staying together.
If you’re able to do this, then you’ll be able to focus on the new things in your life instead of dwelling on what happened in the past.
If there is just a tiny part of you that clings to the hope that you will get back together, then friendship might not be something you’re ready for just yet.
This brings me to my next point:
7) Be honest with yourself
You can’t move forward if you’re not honest about your feelings.
When it comes to getting over an ex, honesty is key.
Is your friendship just a way for you to cling to the relationship you had?
You see, in order to accept that the relationship is over, you have to be honest with yourself.
You need to figure out if you’re still in love with this person, or if you’re just trying to hold onto something.
When friendship is a way for you to not move on from them, it might be smarter to take some distance from them.
I know, it’s terrifying to let go of a person, especially when they were a part of your life for a long time, but you have to realize that you’re doing it for a reason.
Maybe you were just in love with the idea of being with them, and now that the relationship is over, you’re scared to move forward.
There could be so many reasons why this friendship isn’t healthy, but if it’s not working for both of you, then it’s not going to work in the long run.
Simply put, if you want to be friends with an ex, make sure you are being honest with yourself about your intentions.
8) Remember that if it’s meant to be, they will come back, until then, move on
If you’re still friends with your ex, moving on will be a difficult task.
You need to have patience and know that if it’s meant to be, they will come back.
But you can’t wait for them.
The number one thing that you can do is to focus on yourself and don’t worry about the other person right now.
If they are not interested in being with you anymore, then, you’ll just have to keep going and find someone else who will appreciate what you have to offer.
Sometimes we get too focused on how the other person is doing and forget about ourselves.
It’s important that you find happiness in your life and not waste months, or even years of your life hoping that they will come back.
If they want to be with you, they will.
And if they don’t, it’s time for you to move on and find someone who does.
That doesn’t mean you should jump head-first into the next relationship, of course, but don’t let your ex hold you back from moving on!
Love often comes when you least expect it.
That’s why I decided to speak to one of the gifted people at Psychic Source.
As I said earlier, they actually helped me a lot.
The particular issue of being friends with an ex I still had feelings for didn’t faze them at all.
They can help you in text chat, a call, or a video call and it costs much less than you might think.
Click here to get your personalized love reading.
9) Take care of yourself first
Taking care of yourself is the first and most important step to getting over an ex, even if you’re still friends with them.
This means staying active, eating healthy, and taking care of your mental health.
You’ll be more likely to get over them if you focus on living a good life for yourself.
You see, when you don’t abandon yourself, you are showing yourself that you are safe, with or without them.
It will give you the opportunity to explore yourself and your relationship with them, and it will help you realize what went wrong.
You’ll be able to move on faster because you’re learning from yourself and your relationship.
Taking care of yourself will also just make you happier in general.
So, even if you don’t completely get over your ex right away, you’ll be in a better place to move on.
And the best part?
The better care you take of yourself, the easier it will be for you to find someone better further down the line.
Because after all, no one wants to be with someone who doesn’t love and respect themselves.
It’s important that you realize this and focus on yourself so that you can truly be happy.
10) Go on a date with yourself and spend time alone
The next tip is a great, easy way to take care of yourself.
Find something you enjoy doing and do it alone.
You could go to a movie, get your nails done, or even just have a relaxing bath. You deserve it!
Don’t worry about what other people will think, this is time for you.
You may find that by spending some time on yourself, you are more relaxed and less stressed about the situation too!
Taking yourself on a date is a great way to get over your ex. It will show you that you can have fun, even when you’re on your own!
And the best part?
Spending time alone can help you get more clarity and reflect on your situation, the relationship you had, and what you truly want out of life.
It will make you happier and better equipped to handle a new relationship when the time comes.
And by taking yourself on a date, you’re showing yourself that you are worth your time and effort too!
11) Let go of memories from your relationship
One of the best ways to start letting go of your feelings is by getting rid of memories from your relationship.
There are plenty of ways to do this, including giving away some things they gave you or stowing away old love notes.
You don’t have to completely throw away everything about the relationship, you might cherish these memories at some point in your life, but for now, get them out of sight.
If you are still friends with your ex, they are in your life enough already, so at least get rid of memories of the romantic times.
This will help your brain associate them as being a friend and a little less as a partner.
12) Talk to someone about your feelings
This situation can make you feel very lonely at times, I’ve been there and I know how hard it can be.
That’s why it’s super important to find someone you can talk to about your feelings.
It doesn’t have to be a therapist or a friend, it could be anyone you feel comfortable enough with to share your feelings with.
They don’t even have to be someone who knows about your breakup, but just someone you can vent to.
It’s good to talk about how you are feeling, it will help ease the pain and stress of the breakup.
And if you don’t know anyone who can listen and understand, try talking to someone online.
There are plenty of forums online where you can talk about your problems and get advice from others just like you! You might even make some new friends too!
The best part?
Talking to a third party about what is going on can help you get clarity and a different perspective on the situation.
And even if you don’t feel better after talking to someone, at least you got it off your chest and told someone about how you feel.
It can be very cathartic to just get out all the words that are on your mind.
So find a way to talk about your feelings, whether it’s in person or online!
This brings me to my next point:
13) Talk to a relationship coach
While this article will shed light on the main ways to get over a breakup when you’re still friends with your ex, it can be helpful to speak to a relationship coach about your situation.
With a professional relationship coach, you can get advice tailored to your unique situation…
Relationship Hero is a popular site where highly trained relationship coaches help people work through complex relationship issues, like being friends with an ex.
Their popularity boils down to how skilled their coaches are.
Why am I so confident that they can help you?
Well, I recently experienced a tough patch in my own breakup, and I reached out to them for help.
From the moment I got in touch, I was given genuine, helpful advice, and was finally able to see my relationship issues with real clarity.
I was blown away by how kind and empathetic my coach was.
Within minutes, you could be receiving life-changing advice on how to navigate and repair the issues you’re facing with your ex.
14) Don’t rush to move on
The first thing I talked about today was taking the time to grieve.
This point goes hand in hand with that – you can’t rush the process of moving on.
I know, you’re friends with them and don’t want to have feelings for them anymore, but guess what?
Moving on quickly is just not how it works most of the time.
Your feelings built up over weeks, months, or even years, so they won’t go away overnight!
It’s OK to have feelings for your ex, it means you had a deep connection.
Take the time to heal and move on at your own pace.
Just because someone else might have gotten over their breakup faster than you doesn’t mean anything!
Everyone heals differently and moves on at their own pace, so don’t rush yourself.
Think about it: when you rush the process, you just end up suppressing your emotions, which is never a good thing!
15) Be more active
Okay, this one might not work for everybody, but it will do wonders for some.
Being physically active can be a great way to help you move on, even if you are still friends with your ex.
You see, physical activity can boost your serotonin, it will make you feel better about yourself and it will take your mind off the breakup.
So if you are feeling down, try to get more active!
You don’t have to join a gym or anything, even just going for a walk can help you feel better.
16) Create a vision for your new future
One of the toughest parts about a breakup is that you had a vision of spending your life with them, and now that’s over.
If you still want to be friends with your ex and move on, you will need to create a vision for your new future without them as your partner.
You can do this by thinking about what you want your life to look like a few months or years from now.
You can think of your ideal future and the things you will do in that reality.
Make it as amazing as you can, planning your next steps and really getting excited about this future.
When you are having a bad day, just think about that vision, it will help you feel better!
And the best part?
It will show you that you can still plan a future that is more than exciting to look forward to, even if they aren’t your partner in it.
17) Consider pausing the friendship until you feel better
This might be my most important tip of them all.
One of the best things you can do is take time for yourself and get back to feeling like yourself again.
If this sounds like something that you might be struggling with, consider pausing your friendship with your ex until you feel better.
You don’t want to be around them when you haven’t completely moved on yet.
It’s important that you take care of yourself and remember that there is no quick fix or easy way out of this situation.
If you still have feelings for them, it’s completely okay to tell them that you need some space but would love to cultivate a friendship as soon as you’re ready.
I’m sure they will understand.
Sometimes, you need some distance before you can get back to being friends with an ex.
What feels right to you?
I know it can be scary to pause the friendship, but a lot of times, it’s the right thing to do.
Figure out what you need right now to move on and don’t be afraid to do that.
This article gives you a lot of insight into moving on when you’re still friends with your ex. But understanding an issue can be just the beginning.
I mentioned Psychic Source earlier. I recommended them because of my own positive experience, and I’m optimistic they can do the same for you.
Their spiritual advisors understand an enormous amount about feelings after a breakup and how to address them.
Click here to get your own love reading.
Can a relationship coach help you too?
If you want specific advice on your situation, it can be very helpful to speak to a relationship coach.
I know this from personal experience…
A few months ago, I reached out to Relationship Hero when I was going through a tough patch in my relationship. After being lost in my thoughts for so long, they gave me a unique insight into the dynamics of my relationship and how to get it back on track.
If you haven’t heard of Relationship Hero before, it’s a site where highly trained relationship coaches help people through complicated and difficult love situations.
In just a few minutes you can connect with a certified relationship coach and get tailor-made advice for your situation.
I was blown away by how kind, empathetic, and genuinely helpful my coach was.
The above link will give you $50 off your first session - an exclusive offer for Love Connection readers.