1. You still check his social media accounts.
You know it’s going to hurt to see how happy he is without you — to see that his world is still spinning and his sun is still shining. You know you’re going to find something you wish you hadn’t — you always do. But you look anyway.
2. If he called or texted you right now, you’d answer.
He hasn’t tried to contact you in weeks, but if he called right now and said “I need you,” you’d drop everything to be there for him.
3. Most of your stories still have his name in it.
Constantly referencing memories from your relationship just shows how often he still crosses your mind. You can pretty much relate any topic in any conversation, to a story about him.
4. You go on dates with a “he’s not him” mentality.
Your friends encouraged you to go on a date with someone new — someone that will take your mind off of whatshisface. But no matter how nice or handsome the new guy may be, ten minutes into your first date, you’ve already decided he won’t be able to fill your ex's shoes. Chances are, you’re not ready to admit that your ex is gone for good. You’re still holding onto the thought that things will work out — that life is gonna give your relationship a “redo” button.
Tip: life doesn’t give you redo buttons.
5. You still have things to remind you of him.
His pictures still have frames. His hoodie still hangs in your closet. Every gift he ever gave you is still on display or being used— knowing that every time you look at that item, you think of him.
6. You listen to songs that remind you of him.
Whether it’s a song you hate that you know he loves or a song that perfectly describes your feelings for him, you let yourself listen to it; you let your mind wander and daydream to the point of missing him.
7. You’re not ready to delete the memories on social media.
Erasing the photos of your relationship is like pretending none of it ever happened — like pretending the two of you were never in love. It may sound extreme, but it’s true.
I have a lot of painful memories with my exes, but one that hurts worse than most is the day he introduced me to his new girlfriend. We had been broken up for over a year and were both in new relationships, but the moment he said my name, I could tell she had no idea I was his ex.
Breakups hurt. Moving on is hard. But realizing the man you loved for so long had spent a year without mentioning you in his stories — pretending you never dated… it was a new kind of pain.