8 Reasons To Finally Let Go Of Your Ex
By Denise Ngo. Posted on .
Once upon a time, breakups meant saying goodbye and storing away your old love letters, but today's technology makes it almost impossible to completely part ways. Typical distractions like vacations, dance classes or even new love interests can't keep you from regretfully browsing your ex's Facebook profile.
With that in mind, we've launched our Break Up With Your Ex campaign to encourage people to digitally disconnect from their ex by February 13, National Break Up With Your Ex Day. Announcing The First Annual Break Up With Your Ex Day
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Sure, it's time-consuming and awkward to unfriend your ex on Facebook, remove him from your chat list, or to tell him to stop contacting you. But if those things are keeping you from recovering, what's a half-hour of deleting and a couple weeks of awkwardness compared to months of perpetuated angst? Is electronically blocking someone so much worse than finding out via his Facebook newsfeed that he has a new girlfriend?
To find out why cutting digital ties is necessary to heal and move on, we turned to the YourTango Experts. Here, then, are eight reasons you need to break up with your ex.
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1. To grieve.
Sadness, anger and regret are natural components of the grieving process, but it's hard to get past those feelings if you're fixated on your ex. "The main benefit of breaking up with an ex is to get rid of the emotional hold they may have on us," says dating coach and YourTango Expert Mick Lolekonda. "Avoiding staying in touch during the healing phase is the best way to get them out of our heads and move on."
2. To emotionally reconnect with yourself.
Once your ex is completely out of your life, you'll find that he'll start receding from the forefront of your mind. The emotional clarity will help you decide what to do next. Lolokonda says that keeping in touch "can slow down the healing process, which includes reacquainting oneself with our deepest relationship need, as well as becoming more centered and healthy for the next relationship."
