Falling in love is easy but hearing that the person you love so much does not want to be with you any longer is heartbreaking. It is one of the statements people do not want to hear in relationships, yet inevitable.
For some ladies, it is difficult to stay away from someone they have invested lots of emotions in. Even after the relationship is over, they keep hoping that their love would return to them one day.
How long does it take to get over an ex? Why do some people move on easily when their relationship ends and others find it hard to do so? Why do some people cheat on their present partners with their exes? Does it mean that one’s ex will always remain in one’s life forever?
To find out just how long it takes to get over an ex, we asked these women to share their post-break up timelines and how they have successfully moved on.
Adanna: I held on to him for a year after we broke up
It takes me a while to get over anyone, mostly because of text messages and the social media. My last ex and I stayed in touch on and off for a year after we broke up. But I learned that I needed to keep busy in order to cut ties to him. I went out to bars on weeknights instead of staying indoors, binge watched new shows. Eventually, I stopped thinking about him.
Esther: It took me six months to get over my ex
After a year and half together, it took me about six months to get over my ex. Post breakup; we chased, went back and forth about getting back together, but the timing was always off. Finally, I cut him off. I stopped responding to his texts and calls and deleted him and his friends and family on social media. I was tempted to keep tabs on him, but I knew I shouldn’t. Also, I didn’t want his friends to see what I was up to. I cut him off and my life became better.
Rebecca: Choosing to stop thinking about my ex helped me get over him
It took me about a year to get over my ex. Granted, we spent a lot of that time in the gray area of ‘will we or won’t we get back together?’ I met a new guy which definitely helped, but I was still waffling between him and my ex for a while. One day, I woke up and decided I was done with all of the games my ex was playing and wanted to give the new guy a chance. I don’t know what really did it, but making that decision for myself and consciously choosing to stop wondering ‘what if’ helped a lot.
Hilda: Focusing on improving my life helped me get over my ex
It took me eight months to get over my ex. For six months after the split, I was depressed and discouraged about finding anyone ever again. I realized that my previous relationship was not meant to be and finding the right guy could take time. I focused on improving my life by myself, not some guy. I took a break from dating and filled my life with things like spending time with friends, working out, and planning a big move. I met Mr. Right two months later.
Christiana: It only took me about a week to get over my last ex
After he graduated from the university about two years before I did, we got to the point where we had nothing in common anymore. We barely saw each other. For the last three months of the relationship, I knew it was fizzling out and that I should end it, so I didn’t feel that bad when I broke things off I jumped into a relationship with my current boyfriend whom I’ve been with for over six years about two weeks after my breakup, which definitely sped-up the process of getting over my ex. It only took me about a week to get over my last ex.
Gloria: It took me a long time to get over the guilt of breaking up with my last ex
It took me a long time to get over the guilt of breaking up with my last ex. When I told him it was over, he was surprised, hurt, and angry . I felt horrible for making him so upset. Over the course of two years, I tried to stay friendly with him to ease his pain, but when I heard he had a girlfriend, I felt totally relieved and completely over him.
Jennifer: I stayed off social media for a year just to get over my ex
After staying off of social media and cutting off contact with my ex-boyfriend for an entire year, I got back on social and saw he was with another girl. It didn’t upset me at all. He didn’t wait to move on, so I didn’t see the point of hurting over someone who has moved on with someone else.
Sandra: Dating a new guy six months after my last break up helped me move on
Six months after the breakup, I remember waking up and just feeling like I was finally over my relationship of over two years. It probably helped that I recently got a message from another guy I was crushing on before I started dating my ex asking if I wanted to meet him for coffee. The timing was perfect, and I started dating that guy soon after.
Maureen: I stopped thinking about my ex when a new guy showed up
There was a lot of physical chemistry between me and this guy I was seeing for a couple of months, but he wasn’t serious with me. During our relationship, I was constantly worried about what he was really doing when we weren’t together. After four months, I decided to stop stressing about him and focus on myself. I started hitting the gym more frequently and I dated a lot. I ended up meeting my current boyfriend about a week after the last time I saw my ex and never thought about him again.
Veronica: I got over my ex when I started dating other guys
I’ve heard that you should be on good terms with your ex, but when my boyfriend and I decided to end things, being friends made it hard to get over him. It took me a year and a half. We would meet up for drinks or lunch every few weeks, and he came to my birthday just a month after we had split. It made it hard for me to remember why we broke it off. I think I was finally able to get over it when we started seeing other people and drifted apart.
Ifeyinwa: I dated more guys after we broke up just to put keep a distance from my ex
When I found out my ex of two and a half years was cheating on me, I was completely done with him, but it took me a while to get over the betrayal. I could hear myself annoying my friends and the new guys I was seeing by talking about it all the time. In the year after our breakup, I dated more people than I ever did, which put more distance between me and him. After realising that everyone was sick of hearing me talk about my ex, I made it a goal not bring it up and forget about it. It worked!
Bukola: I stopped reaching out to my ex 15 months after we broke up
After I ended my relationship of three and a half years, I thought that my ex would realize he took me for granted and come back. But when he didn’t, I went out dancing, drank too much, and dated a lot. Though, I kept my ex at arm’s length, which made it hard to completely get over him. About 15 months later, I cut the cord by stopping the texts and stopped reaching out, and I finally move on.