17 Proven Ways to Get Over an Ex Fast (2025 Guide to Moving On)

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Editor’s Note (Updated for 2025): This article now includes mental health insights, mindful habits, and new ways to navigate heartbreak in today’s always-connected dating world.

Intro:
Breakups hurt — but staying stuck hurts more. Whether it’s your first heartbreak or another lesson learned, recovery starts with emotional honesty and daily self-care. This 2025 guide breaks down practical, science-backed, and heart-smart ways to finally move on from your ex and feel like yourself again.

Wondering how to get over your ex-boyfriend? Need more tips on how to get over your ex-girlfriend? We got you! 

Experiencing a breakup is something that we all go through at least once in our lifetime. Only the lucky few ended up marrying their first girlfriend or boyfriend. 

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It’s even worse when the signs of a breakup would be screaming right at our faces, but we just couldn’t pull the trigger until later on in the relationship when it reached the breaking point.

If you’re going through a breakup and need helpful tips to move on, we’ve gathered the best ways to get over an ex. 

Trust us, once you’ve tried out these ways to get over an ex, you’ll be like ‘Ex, who?’ in no time!  

Foolproof Tips To Move On From Your Ex

1. Re-evaluate your entire relationship experience

‘But our relationship was perfect! Why did we have to break up? 😢’ 

C’mon now honey, was your relationship really that perfect? 🧐 We beg to differ! 

After a breakup, you’ll only think of the positive sides of the relationship. What about those difficult fights you had to endure? How about their flaws you found hard to accept? 

To really get over your breakup, you have to re-evaluate and figure out what exactly went wrong, aside from remembering all the good things that happened. 

Even if you were in a healthy relationship, there will be certain issues that couldn’t be resolved and get you throwing tantrums and arguments. 

2. Throw away items that remind you of them 

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Do you really need all those soft toys given to you by your ex? 🤮 Get rid of everything, pronto. 

We’re not kidding – you gotta put the thrash where it belongs a.k.a everything that they have given you. The things from your ex ain’t gonna help you to get over your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend. 

Well, except if it’s a Macbook, a diamond necklace worth thousands or something really functional that you’ll surely put to good use, it doesn’t deserve to be around plain eyesight. 

You could consider donating them too! Might else well contribute back to society after all the hurt your ex has put you through. 

3. Keep yourself busy

Stay busy until you have little to no time left to even think about your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend! 

Drown yourself in your work or plan your schedule so you’ll always have something to do during the day. 

It’s much easier to get over your breakup when there’s something to do every day that’ll take your mind off it. 

4. Surround yourself with good friends and family 

Call up your friends, schedule a hangout session with them or spend more time with your family members. These are some of the helpful tips to move on from your breakup. 

Trust us, the best thing you would need right now (after some time alone of course) is to have support from your loved ones. 

We’re pretty sure while you’re in a relationship, all of your time and focus was spent on your ex. Now’s the time to hit up your friends whom you’ve haven’t seen in a long time. 

5. Make self-love and self-care a priority 

The whole time when you’re with your ex, you’ve showered them with all your love. Well if you can do that for them, you could do the same for yourself too! 

Yes honey, pamper yourself to the core and make your own needs a priority! Always wanted that Prada bag or PS5? Go and get ‘em! You’ll have plenty of cash to spend anyway now that you’re single 🤭

Shower yourself with compliments whenever you need to. Putting yourself first is one of the best tips to move on after a breakup. 

6. Cut off all contact, period 

If you think friendship is on the table with your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend right after the breakup, you’re mistaken. 

What good would it do being friends when all you’ll do is think about the possibility of getting back together sometime in the future? 

It’s so much harder to get over your breakup if they’re still in your life. Block them on all social media and be sure they won’t be able to reach you (or vice versa) via text message or phone call.

7. Give yourself some space and time to heal 

One of the common tips to move on most people would tell you is that time heals everything. It 

might be overused, but it’s true. 

When your breakup is fresh, you might feel like it’s close to impossible to get over it. But overtime, you’ll find yourself slowly getting better and think about them way less. 

Allow yourself to feel whatever sadness you have inside, that’s how you can give yourself some space to move on without having to ignore it. 

8. Find a new hobby 

Chances are, you’re probably bored of the same ol’ hobbies you have at the moment. You’re already familiar with whatever that you love to do. There’s no excitement to it anymore! 

Consider getting a new hobby that requires you to take some time learning such as a new language or weightlifting. 

You’ll also gain a new skill and knowledge along the way, so why not right? You lose some, you gain some! 

9. Plan a social media detox 

You open up your Instagram account and the first thing you’ll see is a loving couple displayed right in front of your eyes. That’s not something you’ll want to be seeing after a breakup, isn’t it?

This won’t be the last time you’ll see couples showing off or worse; seeing a reminder of your ex (if they’re in any of your mutual friends following list). 

It could be a month or a couple of weeks, it’s up to you to choose how long you’d like to stay away from social media. You’ll feel relief after doing this, we’re not kidding. 

10. Get a new pet 

If you don’t already have a pet, studies have shown that pets could heal a broken heart and help you get over your breakup easily. 

Whether you’re a dog or cat person, adopting a pet could make you feel less lonely while you’re picking yourself up. 

11. Start working out or join group classes 

You’ll have to find some sort of way to release all your emotions. Instead of getting drunk or any other negative ways, you could start exercising or join a group fitness class together with your friends. 

Exercising helps you to feel more confident too. Nothing’s better than showing your ex what they’ve lost! 💁‍♀️

12. Forgive yourself

You might blame yourself for what has happened with your ex. Stop this instant if you are! Don’t blame your ex either. 

Relationships fall apart simply because two people can’t make it work anymore. You and your ex aren’t right for each other, and that’s a fact. 

Forgiving yourself is one of the best ways to get over an ex because it all starts from how you view things. To move on completely from your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend, you’ll have to accept it for what it is without blaming each other.

13. Reflect on what you want in a relationship

When you’re trying to get over your breakup, the first thing we would try to do is erase all the memories from your head. 

While that is indeed one of the ways to get over an ex, before you do that, it’s also good to go over your entire relationship and figure out what you actually wanted in a relationship. 

The breakup obviously happened because you weren’t satisfied with the relationship. Once you’ve reflected, it could save yourself from future heartbreak! 

14. Create new daily routines 

We get it – you’ve established a regular routine when you were still with your ex. But now that you guys have broken up, you feel weird and out of place. 

The best thing you should do is to start a new daily routine. Replace those regular runs with your ex and start doing yoga at home instead. 

With a brand new routine, you’ll be off to a fresh start! Hence why it helps you when you’re wondering how to get over your ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend. 

15. Stop stalking them

How to get over your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend? Don’t stalk them on social media. Don’t even think about getting updates from your friends about them! You’re not Sherlock Holmes. 

It’s tempting to get the latest scoop about their whereabouts. But honey, you’ll make it harder to get over your breakup that way. 

Block them if it helps you to stop stalking your ex. 

16. Make the most out of your newfound independency 

You’re free as a bird now! Go and ~celebrate~ your independence! 

Why is this a good thing? Now that you’re no longer tied down to someone, you don’t need to get anyone’s approval to do whatever the heck you want. 

Always wanted to try a restaurant but your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend hated it? Hop right on your car and go there! 

Wanted to be friends with someone of the opposite sex but your ex didn’t allow it? Dial their number right now and ask them out. 

17. Reach out for professional support 

You might not know it, but if you really can’t seem to get over your breakup after taking advice from countless tips to move on, seeking professional help would be the best choice. 

Therapists are trained professionals to help their patients get over any sort of trauma that has happened in their life, and breakups are one of them too. 

Don’t be shy about seeking help from a professional because if it helps you get over your breakup and move on from your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend, then it’s well worth it. 

• Feel the Pain, Don’t Bury It
  Healing starts with acceptance, not distraction.

• Cut Off Contact (Even Digitally)
  No texting, no scrolling through old posts.

• Detox From Social Media
  Stop watching stories that reopen wounds.

• Reconnect With Friends and Hobbies
  Refill your calendar with life, not memories.

• Exercise and Move Your Body
  Physical strength rebuilds mental clarity.

• Journal and Reflect on the Lesson
  Closure comes from perspective, not revenge.

• Focus on Self-Worth and Confidence
  You are more than someone’s memory.

• Try New Experiences
  Travel, classes, or even solo adventures reset your rhythm.

• When to Date Again
  Don’t rush. Heal first, then explore openly.

The Bottom Line 

These are some of the best ways to get over an ex so you’ll spend less time thinking about them and forget your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend with our helpful tips to move on.

If all else fails, you can always turn to dating apps like Sugarbook and meet new people! You’ll never know, you might meet someone who’s way better than your ex! 😉

FAQ

Q1. What’s the first step to getting over an ex?
Accept that it’s over — no more contact or social stalking. Grieve honestly and refocus on your own happiness.

Q2. How long does it take to move on?
It varies. Some heal in weeks, others in months. Healing depends on how deeply you were connected and your daily habits after.

Q3. Should I stay friends with my ex?
Not right away. Distance helps you emotionally reset before any form of healthy friendship can exist.

Q4. Why does it feel impossible to stop thinking about them?
You built habits and memories. Replace those triggers with new routines and positive distractions.

Q5. When am I ready to start dating again?
When thoughts of your ex no longer control your mood. That’s when your heart — not loneliness — makes the call.

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Kathy James

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