Heartbreak

Why It's So Hard To Let Him Go (But 3 Reasons You Simply Must)

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Woman on her phone in bed at night

You want to get over him, but no matter how hard you try, you can't. You're stuck. And in the digital age, with so many ways to stay connected, you're constantly being reminded of that one person you're trying to forget. He's all over your Instagram feed and in your friends' Snapchat stories. 

And while you may think it's easier to keep in touch after your breakup through a text or a "like" here and there, it's crucial for you to cut ties.

Why do we have so much trouble letting go? You haven't checked his Facebook page for weeks, set up an online dating profile, and flirted with the cute guy at the bar for hours. So why are you still thinking of him?

RELATED: 13 Signs You Should Break Up, Even If Your Relationship Is 'Fine'

No matter how much you want to get over your former boyfriend, you know it doesn't happen overnight.

The thing is, some people believe that exes can't truly be friends. Why are we even wasting our time?

Some say they hold on to their ex because of nostalgia and longing. But it also has to do with the way they think — and how you feel about the situation says something about you as a person. 

​But there are perks to breaking up with your ex. Unfriending them online (and offline) is liberating. A big misconception about cutting ties with your ex is that time is a healer, but it doesn't have to be a drawn-out process.

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And the benefits of moving on as soon as possible? Well, there are some pretty good ones.

Why it's so hard to let him go, but 3 reasons you simply must:

1. You get to stop feeling upset, lost and confused

Remember all the times he was inconsiderate and made you cry? Yeah, no more of that.

2. You get to reclaim your power and your inner mojo

You were an amazing person before him, and you still are. He didn't make you special, you do that all on your own.

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3. You get to open the space to love again

While this relationship might not have lasted, you got to learn some valuable lessons. Like what you do and don't want in a relationship, so you can be prepared for the next one.

So what's one thing you can do today to get over him?

When it comes down to breaking up with someone, you have to "think" it's an easy process. The only time it ever becomes difficult is when we get caught up in the reality that it's going to be hard and that the outcome is going to be messy.

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Michelle Toglia is the Executive Editor at Elite Daily, overseeing the site's entertainment, news, style, dating, and experiences coverage.