{"id":63164,"date":"2021-02-18T06:43:13","date_gmt":"2021-02-18T06:43:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/?p=63164"},"modified":"2023-03-26T10:17:14","modified_gmt":"2023-03-26T10:17:14","slug":"how-to-forget-someone-you-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/how-to-forget-someone-you-love\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Forget Someone You Love: 25 Ways"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Alone<\/p>\n

Figuring out how to forget someone after a relationship ends can be difficult. If you are wondering how to forget someone and be happy, there are things to do to forget someone you love. <\/span><\/p>\n

Keep in mind that the process can be painful, but as time passes, you will heal and move forward, finding happiness again. <\/span><\/p>\n

You might start with small steps that teach you how to forget someone and then move on to more significant steps, such as moving or starting a new job. Over time, you can develop the confidence to create a new, fulfilling life without your former partner, even if this seems impossible right now. <\/span><\/p>\n

25 ways to forget someone <\/b><\/h2>\n

Moving on from a relationship<\/span><\/a> may not be easy, but with the right strategies, you can learn the best way to forget someone. You may feel alone during this process, but the reality is that many people have found themselves heartbroken, wishing they could forget someone and be happy. <\/span><\/p>\n

While the same things to do to forget someone you love will not work for everyone, there are some tried and true strategies you may find to be useful.<\/span><\/p>\n

By choosing what works for your unique situation from the following 25 strategies for how to forget someone, you can forget someone you love and happily move on with life:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Choose acceptance<\/b><\/h3>\n

The first step in how to forget about someone is to <\/span>simply accept what has happened<\/span><\/a>. As much as you may want to dwell on the fact that things didn’t work out, if you want to forget someone, you must accept reality. <\/span><\/p>\n

The two of you didn’t work out, and the relationship isn’t meant to be. Accepting this helps you to erase your hopes and dreams from your mind, eventually allowing you to forget someone and be happy. <\/span><\/p>\n

2. Commit to letting go<\/b><\/h3>\n

Once you accept that forgetting someone is your only choice, <\/span>you must let it go<\/span><\/a>. Do not spend time ruminating or wondering if things could have been different. Free your mind from thoughts of the relationship, and move forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Get out and enjoy life<\/b><\/h3>\n

\"Multiracial<\/p>\n

When you are suffering from heartbreak, you may be tempted to spend your time at home alone, mourning the loss of the relationship and thinking about all that went wrong, but this doesn’t allow you to move on and forget someone you once loved. <\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of spending your time at home grieving, <\/span>get out and do things you enjoy.<\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n

Go to a new workout class at the gym; call a friend to go out for dinner, or simply take a walk. Anything that keeps you busy will take your mind off of the heartbreak and lift your spirits.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Don’t beat yourself up over the past<\/b><\/h3>\n

Replaying old scenarios from your relationship and thinking about what you could have done differently to save your love won’t allow you to move on and forget them. <\/span><\/p>\n

Stop beating yourself up and wondering if you could have tried harder to make them happy. It is easy to get stuck in this place, which is not helpful when you are trying to forget someone. <\/span><\/p>\n

5. Devote time to your own goals <\/b><\/h3>\n

To shift your attention away from the former relationship, <\/span>spend some time working on yourself<\/span><\/a>. Focus on a goal you want to achieve or something new you want to try, and put your time and energy into this instead of thinking about them. <\/span><\/p>\n

6. Stay away from things that remind you of the person<\/b><\/h3>\n

You might be tempted to drive by their house, or even visit old places you used to enjoy going together. <\/span><\/p>\n

Avoid this; it only makes it harder to forget about them. You may have to avoid watching certain shows if they remind you of your lost love, or avoid spending time with certain people if they are friends that you have in common. <\/span><\/p>\n

Don’t go to old hangout spots hoping to run into your former significant other; instead, try out a coffee shop or grocery store on the other side of town. It is impossible to forget someone and be happy if you run into each other in public. <\/span><\/p>\n

7. Consider a lifestyle change<\/b><\/h3>\n

If you were in a long-term relationship, forgetting someone may require a lifestyle change.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, if you live in a small town, you may consider moving to a different location. Or, you may simply have to change your routine, such as the places you go or where you get your groceries, so you do not run into each other. <\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes, a bad breakup can be the impetus for starting over in a new city with a new career, but such drastic measures are not always necessary. <\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, if there is somewhere you have always wanted to live or a new job you have thought about taking on, now may be the time to do it, so you can forget someone and be happy.<\/span><\/p>\n

8. Get out and meet new people<\/b><\/h3>\n

The chances are that if you were in a relationship, you developed a social circle that included your significant other and perhaps some mutual friends.<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>\n

While you certainly do not have to give up your old friendships, you may have to get out and meet some new people who do not have any connections with your significant other.<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>\n

This prevents you from spending all of your time with people who may bring your former partner up in conversation or ask you questions about how the relationship ended. New friends will bring a fresh perspective and will not spend time asking about your old relationship.<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>\n

You may meet new people and develop new friendships by taking a new class, trying out a new gym, or simply having lunch with a different group of coworkers. <\/span><\/p>\n

9. Resist the urge to contact your former partner<\/b><\/h3>\n

The best way to forget someone is to cut off all contact. You may be tempted to check-in and see how they are doing, but just one message, phone call, or email can send you back to thinking about the good times and longing for the relationship to be what it once was. <\/span><\/p>\n

Erase the person from your phone and email contacts, so you are not tempted to dial them up or shoot them a quick message. This may require you to also remove them from social media accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Snapchat. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you find that you cannot resist the urge to contact them, it may be best to block their phone number or send emails from them to your Spam folder, so you truly do not have a way to get in touch. <\/span><\/p>\n

10. Take up journaling<\/b><\/h3>\n

The process of trying to forget someone can be challenging and full of emotions. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you are having a hard time, put your thoughts into writing. A journal can help you to purge your thoughts and get your emotions on paper, so they are not building up inside and making it difficult for you to cope. <\/span><\/p>\n

11. Set small, daily goals<\/b><\/h3>\n

\"Businessman<\/p>\n

Learning how to forget someone is a process, and you shouldn’t feel the need to take a bunch of major steps at once. Work on taking small, daily steps that get you closer to forgetting someone. <\/span><\/p>\n

For example, you may set a goal to try a new coffee shop one day, instead of grabbing your morning coffee from the shop you and your significant other used to go to before work. Another day, you may set a goal to try a new fitness class at the gym and introduce yourself to one other person in the class. <\/span><\/p>\n

Over time, these small goals will build your confidence and allow you to take bigger steps toward moving on and starting a life without your former partner.<\/span><\/p>\n

12. Travel<\/b><\/h3>\n

You know that trip you have been postponing? <\/span><\/p>\n

Now is the time to take it. Use up your vacation time, and take a <\/span>break to travel<\/span><\/a> and see a new part of the world. <\/span><\/p>\n

Having some time away from home in a different setting will give you a fresh perspective and may even give you time to process the breakup and begin to look at some of the flaws you turned a blind eye toward during the relationship. <\/span><\/p>\n

13. Avoid hooking up<\/b><\/h3>\n

When you are <\/span>dealing with a heartbreak<\/span><\/a>, you may be tempted to accept anything your ex will give you. Perhaps they are not willing to continue a relationship with you, but they will be more than willing to swing by for a hookup. <\/span><\/p>\n

Do not give into this. In fact, this is not at all the best way to forget someone. What may just be a casual hookup for your ex can bring back powerful emotions for you, preventing you from breaking the attachment with them. Ignore requests to hookup. <\/span><\/p>\n

You might think that a sexual relationship will help you to feel better, but ultimately it will make you feel worse and only prolong the heartbreak. <\/span><\/p>\n

Related Reading<\/strong>: How to Get Over Someone You Love<\/a><\/em><\/pre>\n
14. Allow yourself to rest<\/b><\/h3>\n
Many of the tips for how to forget someone involve taking action, such as setting goals, trying new activities, or changing up your habits. While these strategies are important, sometimes you need to allow yourself to just rest. Doing the work of forgetting someone is no small task. <\/span><\/p>\n
Allow yourself time to <\/span>take a break<\/span><\/a> and perhaps reflect upon the progress you have made. During this time, you might set aside space to think about what was wrong with the relationship. During moments of rest, you might even realize that the relationship was not the best for you after all. <\/span><\/p>\n
Maybe during your initial heartbreak, you glamorized the relationship when there were problems in reality, and forgetting them and being happy is the best choice. <\/span><\/p>\n
15. Spend time with people who lift your spirits<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Couple<\/p>\n
Even when you are at your lowest, you most likely have a supportive network of friends or family you can turn to for encouragement. Spend time with these people, whether it’s going out to dinner or sitting down to chat. <\/span><\/p>\n
Surely, they will remind you of the things you have to be grateful for in life and will take your mind off of your former relationship. <\/span><\/p>\n
16. Practice forgiveness<\/b><\/h3>\n
It can be difficult to forget someone and be happy when you are still angry about things they did or things that went wrong. Part of how to forget someone is to <\/span>stop dwelling<\/span><\/a> over your anger and practice forgiveness. <\/span><\/p>\n
Maybe you can write it down in your journal, but whatever you decide to do, give yourself the gift of letting your anger go, so it no longer consumes you. It is hard to forget someone if you are still holding on to anger. Ultimately, choosing forgiveness frees you as well. <\/span><\/p>\n
In the video below, Marie Forleo discusses forgiveness as an emotional, spiritual and physical process. She discusses the path to forgiveness. Find out more:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n