How to Leave Past Relationships in the Past

Living in the moment is the most fulfilling way to spend your days. And thinking about or obsessing over a relationship from the past can distract you to the point where you miss out on a great relationship today. Despite the tons of love advice available, leaving a past relationship where it belongs is sometimes difficult.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Initiate a closure. Whether it is a letter, a conversation or a ritual, make sure that it is final, leaving no room for ambivalence.
2. Move on quickly. Mourning has its place but should have a definite time limit.
3. Find alternatives. When a past relationship comes to mind, change the channel in your head. Do something, anything, to take your mind off the past.
4. Stop talking about it. The more you rehash the past, ask for advice or whine, the firmer the grip it retains in the present.
5. Get involved. Helping others and focusing on other people gives you freedom from your own problems and from self obsession that keeps you stuck in the past.
6. Focus on love. Giving love to others whether romantic or in general releases endorphins that helps you live happily in the moment.
7. Plan the future. For idle minds that cannot hold still, the future holds unlimited possibilities that can easily push out thoughts of the past.