So, you have almost finished the no contact rule and you still want your ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend back.
It was hard at first. But somehow you managed to go 2 weeks, 30 days, 60 days or several months without contacting your ex.
You have even taken steps to improve yourself and become a better version of you. You are wondering what you should do after no contact because you still want your ex back and you really don’t want to lose him or her.
Congratulations! You have made it through one of the hardest phases of getting your ex girlfriend or your ex boyfriend back. Unfortunately, the part up ahead can be just as hard, if not harder.
Want to understand the bigger picture?
Read our in-depth Guides. They are both free and extremely popular on the internet.
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Moving forward, you need to have the right attitude and the right mindset. You should have the right skills and tools at your disposal. And most importantly, you should have a plan.
In this article, I am going to list out 5 essential things you must do after no contact. I say essential because it’s very important you do them if you want your ex back permanently. After all, what’s the point of getting your ex back if you can’t keep them in a healthy and fulfilling relationship.
What You Do After No Contact Is Very Important If You Want Your Ex Back
What happens immediately after a breakup is usually a reaction. A reaction that comes out of instincts, neediness, desperation, immaturity and sometimes a power struggle.
But once you are done with no contact, things are different. In most cases, the neediness, panic, and desperation has faded away by now. What you do after no contact is important because this is the time when everything and everyone will show their true face. If you make any mistakes now, you can’t just chalk it up on post breakup panic.
What you do after the no contact rule can either help you both get back together and end up in a great relationship; or it can confirm that breaking up was the right decision.
To be honest, there is no way to know for sure what will happen in your particular case.
But if you play your cards right, make the right moves at the right time, you can increase the chances of ending up in a new and awesome relationship with your ex instead of losing him or her forever.
Alright, now that we have established why your actions at this point are important, let’s discuss exactly what you should do after no contact to get your ex back in a healthy and awesome relationship.
Table of Content
- 1. Have The Right Mindset
- 2. Have The Right Tools and Skills
- 3. Make The First Move After No Contact
- 4. Escalate and Build Attraction and Connection
- 5. Be Willing To Have Difficult Conversations
Essential #1: Have the Right Mindset
Having the right mindset is THE MOST IMPORTANT part of getting your ex back. And it’s something that a lot of people overlook. I know this because I have gone through thousands of cases of people trying to get back together in my eleven years of experience as a breakup coach. (Read more about me and my experience here.)
So, if your instinct is to scroll down and move on to the second part of this article …. think again. Having the right mindset is important. And if you don’t get this right, I can almost guarantee you will not succeed in getting your ex back in a healthy relationship.
OK Kevin, What’s The Right Mindset for Getting Your Ex Back?
When it comes to love, there are two types of people in the world. People with the scarcity mindset. And people with the abundance mindset.
If you have a scarcity mindset. You are always afraid of losing what you have because you believe there is not enough of it. You believe if you lose the person you love, you will never find love again. You may feel the same way about happiness, about wealth, or even about your health.
This is why people with the scarcity mindset always take action out of fear. Out of fear of losing the person they love.
Fear, is the greatest relationship killer of all time. The second most popular relationship killers (Facebook and social media) are far behind it. Fear has so many titles under it’s belt; no one can even come close to challenging it. Here are some of the titles Fear displays in its hall of fame
- Destroying relationships through insecurity
- Destroying relationships through jealousy
- Destroying relationships through anger
- Destroying relationships through heated arguments and miscommunication
- Destroying relationships through neediness and desperation
I digress.
The point is, fear kills relationships. And if it’s something that destroys relationships, it’s certainly not something that will help you reconcile and start a healthy relationship with your ex.
This is why you must adopt the abundance mindset.
People who have the abundance mindset believe there is unlimited love and happiness in the world. They are not afraid to run out of love and happiness because they know that there is more waiting right around the corner.
Wait, are these the type of people who go around breaking everyone’s heart because they are always looking for new people to love?
The answer is no. In fact, people like that are also acting out of fear. They are afraid of commitment. They are afraid of facing the deep psychological issues that makes them afraid of commitment.
People with abundance mindset are not afraid of losing their loved ones because they know they can always find love again. They are not afraid of being sad or hurt because they know they can find happiness again.
It doesn’t mean they don’t care about losing the person they love.
They don’t want to lose their loved ones. They don’t want to go through a heartbreak and the pain that comes with grief.
No one wants that.
But the key difference between people with abundance mindset and scarcity mindset is the fact that they don’t act out of fear.
Instead, they act out of love, honesty and understanding. When you take fear out of the equation, it gets kind of easy to start and maintain a healthy relationship with a person of your choice.
When you are going to end no contact, you must be prepared for the worst. Be prepared for everything that might happen. And you mustn’t let fear dictate your actions and behavior.
For example, suppose you reach out to your ex via text. You get a negative response or you don’t receive a reply from your ex. At this point, you must make a choice and figure out your next course of action. The choice you make will depend on your mindset.
- Scarcity Mindset: Your mind panics and you start trying to figure out what it means. You are scared that your ex has moved on completely and you feel sick to your stomach. Your mind races constantly trying to figure out what you should do because you are terrified of losing your ex forever. You panic more and you text them again. You somehow manage to control yourself for another 5 hours and you can’t take it anymore. You call your ex only to find out they are not picking up your calls either.
- Abundance Mindset: You may still panic. After all, the thought of losing your ex forever is scary. But you decide to not let this panicked state of mind dictate your actions. You refuse to let fear control your life. Instead, you decide to stick to your plan. If your ex doesn’t reply or give you a negative reply, you just give them more space. You do no contact again for a couple of weeks before trying again. And you remind yourself that there was always a chance this might happen and it’s still OK. You are still going to be fine and you are still going to find the love and happiness you deserve.
See how different mindset leads to different reactions?
Having an abundance mindset does not necessarily mean you will stop feeling all those crazy emotions that have been programmed into your brain (your instincts). It means to feel those emotions and still decide to not let them control your actions.
Having the right mindset will help you in every step of the way. A lot of times, you will have to choose between
- Reacting out of fear; or
- Being honest, communicate effectively and show love.
I recommend you show love.
By the way, did I tell you about the all time champion duo of keeping a relationship alive, healthy and thriving?
Fear doesn’t stand a chance against honesty and communication.
Checklist:
- Ask yourself, are you emotionally and mentally ready to contact your ex?
- Have you accepted that there are endless possibilities to find love and happiness in this world?
- Do you think that you can love someone other than your ex girlfriend or ex boyfriend?
If you answered no to any of the above questions, then you are not yet ready to end no contact.
Common Mistakes To Avoid:
1. Don’t be in a rush to end no contact fearing that your ex will move on. Even if you have completed 1 week, 2 weeks, 30 days, or 60 days of no contact. If you feel you are not ready and you need more time to heal, extend the no contact period for a couple of weeks more. Instead of ending no contact out of the FEAR of losing your ex, extend no contact out of LOVE for your own mental and emotional well-being. (Read: The No Contact Rule and How Long You Should Do It)
2. Don’t start a rebound relationship with someone just to make your ex jealous or to force yourself to move on from your ex. It’s not healthy for you and it’s probably not fair to the person you are starting a rebound relationship with.
Essential #2 Have the Right Tools and Skills
You may have the right mindset, but it’s not always enough to get your ex back. After all, you and your ex broke up for a reason. Something in your relationship was broken and you probably need the right tools and skills to fix it.
Your old relationship is dead. If you and your ex get back together, it’s going to be a new relationship. But there is a good chance the old issues you had in the relationship will rise again. And this is probably one of the biggest hurdle your ex boyfriend or ex girlfriend has in their mind.
Your ex may have thoughts like,
“We always fought. If we get back together, things will be fine for a while and then we will fight again.”
“I loved my ex. But I did not feel the same way about him/her during the end of the relationship. I guess I just don’t find them attractive anymore.”
“I just don’t think I connect with my ex anymore. It’s like we are different people.”
All these doubts in your ex’s mind can be tackled if you have the right tools and skills to SHOW them things will be different this time. It’s important that you show them that you are capable of making changes instead of just telling them that you can.
This is why you need the right skills and tools when you are tackling these doubts.
Here are some of the examples of tools and skills that usually make or break a relationship.
Communication
It’s an essential skill that everyone should learn. Every couple argues. But the difference between couples who thrive and couples who fall apart is effective communication. If you can learn how to communicate with your partner effectively, you can turn your new relationship with your ex into something beautiful.
How to communicate effectively in a relationship is beyond the scope of this article. But here are some resources that will help.
– Non – Violent Communications by Marshall B. Rosenberg. – An excellent book on effective communications. I highly recommend this to all my clients. Seriously, reading this book will make you a pro at handling conflict.
– Improving Communication Skills – An interesting article which teaches basics of effective communication.
– Effective Communication during a conflict – An article that teaches how to communicate effectively during a conflict.
Of course, none of the above resources will teach you specifically how to communicate with your ex during a conflict. The best way to learn how to resolve conflicts with an ex and how to tackle the doubts they may have about getting back together is by getting the EBP Advanced System. It’s an online course that teaches you the skills you need to get your ex back in a healthy relationship.
Self Confidence
Being confident in yourself is one of the most attractive traits anyone can have. Think about it for a moment. Your ex is definitely attracted to you physically. If they weren’t, they would never have started a relationship with you in the first place. But a lot of people lose their confidence during the course of a relationship. They start displaying lack of confidence through insecurity, neediness or desperation. If your ex lost attraction to you during the course of your relationship, there’s a good chance it was due to lack of confidence.
Luckily, you can rebuild your confidence again. One of the fastest way to do so is by getting therapy and accepting yourself. You can also choose to read some books on building your self confidence. Here’s one book that I recommend for building your self-esteem.
If you suffer from anxiety, then check out “The Overcoming Anxiety” course that comes as a bonus with the EBP Advanced System.
Having a solution for the logistics
A lot of times, couples break up due to circumstances. Sometimes, due to distance, due to lack of time, or due to a lack of efforts.
In most cases, your ex will not consider getting back with you unless the circumstances have changed or you can SHOW them a solution for the problem that the circumstances created.
For example, suppose your relationship with your ex deteriorated because you were too much focused on your new business venture and you didn’t have time to spend with your ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend. If that’s the case, you must be able to SHOW your ex that you have learned to manage your time effectively and have set your priorities straight.
A simple way of showing them this is by using the extra time to do other activities that help you grow like going to the gym, pursuing a hobby, meeting a therapist etc. By showing them that you are spending time on things other than your business, you are showing them that the circumstances and your priorities have changed and by extension, things will be different when you get back together.
Checklist:
1. Before contacting your ex, you should have improved in at least two of the following:
- Your Confidence Level
- Your Communication Skills
- Managing Your Anxiety
- Your Career
- Your Time Management Skills
- Your Passion
2. Figure out if you can fix the issues that lead to the breakup in the first place.
Essential #3 Make the first Move After No Contact
A lot of people feel that no contact is a rule that will make your ex want you back. That your ex will come back if you just stop contacting them for a while.
But isn’t No Contact enough to get your ex back?
The No Contact Rule alone will not be enough to get your ex back. Sure, it can make your ex miss you. It can even make them doubt the breakup. But unless someone initiates contact, you and your ex will not get back together.
A lot of people resist towards the idea of making the first move. Here are some of things I hear from my readers.
- “Wouldn’t contacting my ex show that I am weak?”
- “I want him to contact me first. I don’t want to look like I am chasing him.”
- “I don’t want my ex to have the upper hand. If I contact her first, she will have the upper hand.”
- “I want him to think that he is chasing me, instead of me chasing him.”
- “I don’t want to look insecure in front of my ex. Wasn’t she supposed to contact me after no contact?”
If you think the same way, I want you to go back to the first and second part of this article and read them again. If you want to rebuild your relationship, you must not let fear dictate your actions.
There are two major concerns here. Not wanting to look needy and wanting to have the upper hand (power and control over the situation). And if you think about it, both these concerns are a by-product of fear. Fear of rejection, fear of losing control or the fear of losing the power over your ex.
But if you remove the fear from the equation, and you are sure that you can have a healthy relationship with your ex, doesn’t it makes sense to reach out to your ex? What have you got to lose from reaching out if you have healed enough and have the right mindset?
Let’s look at why some people don’t want to initiate contact with an ex after no contact.
Not looking needy in front of your ex
It’s true that if you keep contacting your ex after a breakup, it makes you look needy, insecure and desperate. In fact, it’s one of the deadly mistake I talk about in this article on getting your ex back.
But things are very different after no contact. Especially if you have made a lot of changes in yourself. If you have acquired the right mindset, the right tools, the right skills to approach this situation; then contacting your ex will not come off as needy.
Consider the following attitude of someone who wants their ex back:
“I want my ex back at any costs. This is my last chance and I want to do everything perfectly. I don’t want to lose my ex because my life is miserable without him/her.”
If this is your mindset right now and you contact your ex, then there is a good chance you will come off as needy. Even if you use the right text messages to contact your ex and you somehow fake it, your ex will eventually figure out what’s really going on inside you and will end up ignoring you or even blocking you.
On the other hand, consider this attitude:
“I want to contact my ex because I truly believe that we can start a new beautiful relationship. I’ve learned a lot and changed into a better person. Hopefully, my ex has learned from their mistakes as well. I want to give it another try and see if the new relationship will be different this time. If it works, I’ll be glad I initiated contact. If it doesn’t, I’ll know I tried my best and this relationship wasn’t meant to be.”
If you truly believe that, then nothing you send will come off as needy. Even if they initially think you are contacting them out of neediness, you will soon prove them wrong by your actions and words. What comes out of your mouth or your fingers (via texts) will automatically make you look confident because you are confident and you have the right tools and skills to handle this.
Having The Upper Hand
I get it. It feels like having your ex contact you first will give you a sense of power over the situation. After feeling helpless and hopeless for so long, having your ex contact you is a good sign. A sign that things might work out in the future. A sign that your ex still has feelings for you.
But consider this.
I have seen a lot of cases where an ex contacts first but they still didn’t end up back together. And I have seen many cases where my clients contacted their ex first and they ended up getting back together.
If I have to rate the correlation of your ex contacting you first with getting back together on a scale of 1 to 10.
I’d rate it a solid 1.5.
That means your ex contacting you first has almost no effect on your chances of reconciliation.
Like I said above, your mindset is the biggest factor in getting your ex back. And the second biggest factor is your skills and tools.
Can You Make Your Ex Initiate Contact After No Contact?
You can not “make” your ex to do something they don’t want. Sure, you can post things on social media to try to make them jealous. Or you can tell their friends how awesome your life is.
But ultimately, whenever you are trying to “make” your ex initiate contact, you are doing things to indirectly affect their thoughts and actions. And that, my dear reader, is called manipulation. And even if it works initially, it will not work over the long run.
After all, even if you successfuly make your ex initiate contact with manipulation, what’s next? To keep them interested, you will again try to manipulate them and you will have to continue playing mind games with them.
Your ex will either get tired of your mind games, or you will eventually slip up, make a mistake and expose your true self (someone who is needy, insecure and manipulative). As a result, you will again push your ex away.
My recommendation is that you don’t try to make your ex initiate contact after no contact. If you are not ready to reach out to them, extend no contact. But keep focusing on yourself and your own growth instead of figuring out ways to manipulate and control your ex.
And when you feel you are ready, reach out to them using the examples below.
Should You Wait For Your Ex To Initiate Contact Forever?
In a lot of cases, your ex will not initiate contact with you at all. They might think that you have moved on and might be preparing to move on themselves.
If you never contact them, they may eventually assume you have moved on.
Moreover, how long are you willing to wait for them to contact you? A couple of months? Six months? A year? Your entire life?
This whole process of wanting to get back together is both emotionally and mentally exhausting. The longer you wait, the more stress you accumulate.
When you are ready, you should contact your ex to see if it works. If it doesn’t, you should move on.
Remember, you are just trying to get back together. Don’t feel ashamed of wanting to get back with an ex. If you want to get them back for the right reasons, you don’t have anything to be ashamed of.
If you want something in your life, you should be confident enough to take action and try to get it. Even if you don’t succeed, you will be fine. You will learn from your mistakes and move on to find a better relationship with someone else.
You need to have self-respect. You need to respect your time. And that means making the first move when you are ready. It means taking action instead of sitting around and wait for a great romantic relationship to fall on your lap.
What to Say To Your Ex After No Contact Rule?
This is where it gets tricky. Most people are so confused about what to say to their ex after no contact rule, they end up delaying it. Fortunately, I’ve got you covered in that area. Here’s a three step process to find out what to say to your ex boyfriend or ex girlfriend after no contact rule.
Step 1 : Figure out which medium suits you best
I usually recommend one of these four mediums to contact your ex.
-
- Texting
- Emails
- Hand Written Letter
- Phone Call/Video Call
You should choose the best medium to contact your ex by considering how you used to communicate when you were in a relationship.
The most recommended medium in most cases is email.
The second most recommended medium is texts.
If your ex has blocked you, I recommend you use email.
If you feel confident enough in your approach, you can also give your ex a phone call instead of sending a text or an email.
In some cases, a hand written letter can also be very effective. If you feel your ex will appreciate a hand written letter, then choose a hand written letter to initiate talking with your ex.
Step 2: Find Out What You Must Say
I have given a lot of examples of what you can text your ex after no contact in my article on texting your ex. So I recommend you read that article to get a good idea of what you need to say. But here are two most common templates of what you can say to your ex after no contact.
1. Elephant In The Room Message: This message is designed to help you clean the slate and start new with your ex. It uses honesty and vulnerability to help bring an ex’s defenses down and make them comfortable speaking to you again. You can download 5 examples of these texts in my free report. Click here to download the report.
2. A Memory Text: This message ignores everything that happened during or after the breakup and attempts to start a conversation with your ex on a light tone. You simply use an old memory to relate to your ex. If they are ready to speak to you, they will most likely reply in a positive way. To learn more about this message, read my article on texting your ex.
Step 3: Say What You Have to Say with Confidence
Once you have decided what medium you are going to use and what you have to say, just go ahead and say it. If you have done everything right till now, the response you get from your ex is most likely going to be positive. If they are still angry or cold, just do no contact again and try after a couple of weeks.
Checklist:
- Be brave enough to make the first move.
- Figure out which medium you should use to contact your ex.
- Figure out the most appropriate message to send your ex. (Download examples in this free report.)
- Send your first contact message to your ex and hope for the best.
Essential #4 Make the Right Moves and Escalate
Alright, so you’ve made the first move by contacting your ex after no contact. Your ex has responded positively and you are planning to continue texting to rebuild the attraction, connection and trust with your ex.
If you have done everything right till now, the next part should come easy. Here’s a breakdown of things you should keep in mind.
Increase the Time You Spend Speaking With Your Ex Slowly
When you first contact your ex after no contact, you probably want to keep things light (unless you need to use the elephant in the room approach).
Once you’ve done that, you want to back off for a few days and text them again. But this time, you talk for a little bit more time.
The next time you speak, you want the conversation to last a little longer.
You do this slowly and steadily so that your ex gets used to speaking with you again. You want them to speak to you first thing in the morning and before going to bed. You want them to feel like you are lovers.
But it’s not going to happen unless you become close and personal
Increase The Intensity of the Conversation
You can’t always keep the conversations light-hearted. You want your ex to feel a strong connection with you. And no one feels a connection with someone they only have casual conversations with.
This is when you get close and personal. You speak about your feelings and you encourage them to speak about their feelings. You talk about your fears, desires, successes and failures. You open up to them and be vulnerable.
Read some examples on how to do this in this article.
Take the Conversation to a More Personal Medium
When it comes to the medium you are using to communicate with your ex; it goes something like this
Social Media >>> Emails >>>> Texts >>>>> Phone Calls >>>>>> Video Calls >>>>Meeting Up
You should strive to get more and more personal with them. If you are just emailing them immediately after no contact, you want to be texting them after a couple of weeks.
If you have been texting for a few weeks, you should be trying to get on a phone call.
If you have been speaking on the phone, you should try to meet them or get them on a video call (if you are in a long-distance relationship).
Always strive to move forward. But do it slowly and subtly.
What To Do If Your Ex Wants To Be Friends After No Contact?
A lot of people are afraid of ending up in the friend zone with their ex. But in my experience, if your ex wants to be friends with you, it’s a good sign. The fact that they want you as a friend means that they still respect you and want you around. And the more time you spend with them, the more opportunities you will have to attract them, connect with them and bring down the defenses they have about getting back together.
As long as there is a sexual chemistry between you and your ex, you will never truly be friends with them. And if you are confident and you have the right mindset regarding this, your ex will find you attractive; both sexually and emotionally.
The most important thing to keep in mind is your own mental well-being. If being friends with your ex is making you feel uncomfortable and is affecting your mental peace, then cut them off and start another period of no contact. But if you feel you are okay with being friends them, then continue speaking to them and use this opportunity to rebuild the connection you lost because of the breakup.
Checklist:
- Find out how you can increase connection with your ex by reading this article and Stage 4 of this guide on getting your ex girlfriend back.
- Increase the frequency and the intensity of conversations you have with your ex
Essential #5 Have Difficult Conversations
Your ex might be speaking to you normally and they might even show some signs that they still love you or want you back.
But in most cases, your ex will still have a lot of doubts in their mind about wanting to get back together. You need to address those doubts. And you need to do it effectively.
Remember how we talked about having the right skills and tools for the job? This is where it comes in.
If you are skilled at communicating effectively in a relationship, this part should come to you easily. Also, if you have done the leg work, i.e, become more confident, attractive, successful and over all a better person, then you are already half way there.
But you must have the courage to speak about it. I see a lot of my readers making the mistake of trying to avoid these serious issues that are probably bothering your ex. Issues that were probably the reason you guys broke up in the first place.
If you avoid talking about those issues, your ex is likely going to think nothing has changed. If you change the topic whenever something serious comes up, it’s going to make you look weak and desperate. Avoiding any kind of serious talk with your ex is going to push them away.
Think of it this way, if you are avoiding a serious talk with your ex, you are probably doing it out of fear. Fear of losing your ex. And like I said before, fear will not bring you back together. Only love can. Instead of acting out fear, act out of love. Show them empathy and understanding by communicating with them.
You should learn to talk about those sensitive topics in a calm and rational way. If you are calm and confident when you are speaking about these issues, it’ll show your ex that you have truly become a better version of yourself.
Another thing to note is that you should never end these serious conversations by talking about getting back together.
“Hey, I’ve fixed all the issues and things will be different now. Want to get back together?”
If you talk about getting back together after having a conversation about a serious issue between you and your ex, you end up making it look like you have only changed just to get back together.
This makes everything you have done until now manipulative and insincere. This immediately makes your ex put up their defenses and undo all the hard work you have done till now.
So, how do you approach this?
You just state the fact and address the issue. You don’t say that you want to get back together. If the issue is specifically about getting back together; you should tell them that even though you want to get back together; you don’t think it’s a good idea to rush into things.
You let them know that you are as skeptical about getting back together as they are. You want a healthy relationship that lasts a long time. Something that’s built on a solid foundation. And you should mean that.
Checklist:
- Speak to your ex about the issues that lead to the breakup.
- Refer to Essential no. 2 to learn how to communicate effectively and resolve these issues.
To recap; here is what to do after no contact if you want your ex back.
Step 1: Have the right mindset. (The most important step. Here’s what I mean)
Step 2: Develop the right skills and have the right tools to fix your relationship. (Here are some examples)
Step 3: Make the first move to restart contact. (Make sure you don’t look needy or desperate).
Step 4: Escalate conversations
Step 5: Have difficult conversations
And if you haven’t yet, make sure you read my article on how to get your ex girlfriend back or how to get your ex boyfriend back.
Disclosure: The links in this article that lead to amazon are affiliate links and this website earns commission on purchases made through those links.
I’ve been reading a lot of your articles and I think they are really helpful. I’m in a different situation though. I over texted a guy after just meeting him. We never even got to dating. Do these articles still help with trying to get him back?
While the methods for trying to get someone back generally remains quite universally applicable, do keep in mind that the chances of success for non-relationship type cases will definitely be much slimmer compared to an actual relationship - because there tends to be a weaker emotional connection in such cases due to the lack of shared intimate memories that would link him to you.
Hello
I have been reading all your posts and truly believe i need to try this last try and give my atmost best.
Thank you for your knowledge and teachings. We broke up because of alcohol abuse and me not treating the way she should have been treated. I have been on the right path and did no contact. Broke it bit earlier than i wanted to but in my heart that was the right idea. I want her back because i know i can be the man she deserves and needs. I want healthy and solid relationship with honesty and mutual understanding.
Good luck.
This is a great site for those of us looking for direction in regards to breakups.
Thank you for putting this site together and even though I absolute hate what I have to do, I will follow the instructions given here. I know that its sound advice and I'm overly appreciative for it. I have been dating two women, and had tried to break up with one for the longest time, but now that I have I feel I made a mistake. She's extremely angry with me and doesn't want to talk at all. She did mention that she would reach out once she's emotionally available to. she never found out about my other girlfriend but I think she has womens intuition that something was going on. I've hated myself for it but loved it at the same. I'll keep everyone updated on my progress
Hi! Been reading a lot of articles and saw the comments and figured I’d give it a try. I haven’t talked to my ex in over a year and it ended on me sending a brash text after we hadn’t contacted for a couple weeks because I was pissed off she made a tinder after we had been dating for almost 3 years. It ended in the first place because of distance in college, which has changed, and I was making other girl friends in college that I thought would offer more to me than she would at the time, which was confidence in themselves and trust in me. I’ve gone out and been with different people and realized that we genuinely had something special that I’d like again, but could still use some advice. One thing I realized I did wrong during the time was that I always turned arguments against her instead of just communicating effectively when I would do something wrong which I’ve realized and don’t do anymore. You guys go great work thank you so much!
We were dating for 3-4 months and at the end i think i was too pushy to take it to the next level. We were all good and had a lot of fun when seeing eachother, but when we talked on the phon the last 2 weeks she was a bit off, but very happy when we actually hung out. Eventually i told her to tell me if she has lost interest, and we met up and she did end it. I hadnt done anything wrong according to her, but she said she felt something was wrong. Neither me or her have been in a real relationship before. What should i do, and why did she switch and became cold so fast?
It was probably due to the loss of attraction/spark over time and this being her first real relationship, she probably did not know how to manage her own expectations and perceived your actions/gestures during the 'honeymoon phase' as how the relationship is supposed to constantly look like. Follow the steps listed in our main article and you can also use this other article for reference on what you should do to re-attract her back.
This site has been so helpful. Do you have any tips for moving on if your ex doesn’t want to get back together or if you know that really being together is not the right thing in the long run?
Hey Jasmine,
Moving on from a person and healing from the breakup itself (as mentioned our website in the 5-steps) are pretty similar, but instead of ending NC to reconnect with your ex, you'd be applying indefinite NC and continuing with your healing process until you one day no longer think about your ex and feel less emotions when thinking about him. Once you've made the decision that reconciliation isn't the best option for yourself, and you're aware of what you should be doing to heal, then all you have to give yourself is time.
Hello,
My girlfriend broke up with me more than a month ago. Back then, I just thought she wants to rest for a while but did the "panic" activities like texting her a lot to the point of saying things like I'll just end my life if she don't speak with me. I don't mean it, that's for sure. But somehow it had an impact on her negatively as she is already afraid of what she'll read. I tried to sent her flowers and a letter begging to speak with me. Although she appreciated the effort, it somehow just triggered her to keep her distance more (blocking my mobile number and social media). This info came from one of her friends by the way as she no longer communicates with me directly. Now I accepted the breakup and currently doing the no contact method. As we did end quite bad, I'm considering staying away for at least 3 months minimum. Is that a good move or should I do no contact more than that. I just want to give time for her to forget her fear.
You can consider starting off with 3 months first and reach out to test the waters with her. If she isn't responding positively towards you at all, then she probably needs more time still and you can continue to give her more space, with the length of it dependent on how negatively she responded towards you.
We broke up two years ago, and we started talking here, and there texts and snaps and I believe we have had that severe conversation but is it wrong to have it again. We both have talked about the fact that we want to take it slow, so does that sound good and seem like we're going in the right direction, oh and we've also met up just once since but slowed it down?
Taking things slow the second time and not rushing back into the relationship is definitely the right direction to be heading towards, since it'll allow you to establish a healthier foundation to the relationship with her this time around, and address the pre-existing issues first before officially getting back together.
My ex and I were in a long distance relationship for a year+ before he said he needed space (note it's a relationship of years) I initiated no contact for a month before he reached out to me.....after which we stopped talking for few days until it was my birthday, he contacted me again...even sent a cake, after then we've had casual conversations and even discussed about few personal issues recently but when I asked if he would like to give us another try, he said to put that on hold for now... I don't know what to do next. Am I to go no contact again?I don't want to be friend zoned. What do I do?
Remember that you have to take things slow and work on rebuilding attraction and trust first before you bring up the topic of starting a relationship again
Thanks for the reply,am willing to, but am afraid I might end up in the friend zone...am confused, i feel being friendly will make him friend zone me
Who can I speak to about my situation? How much does it cost? And would there be a telephone option to fit in all of the emotional details?
Hi Olivar, unfortunately we do not provide telephone or face to face sessions, only personal email coaching with either Kevin or me. You can find more information regarding email coaching here.
Met a girl (long distance) and it took 2 months before first date with minimal talking in between. We hit it off on the date and the first week after, but she went cold. After 4 days and a few unreturned texts/calls I told her it was't going to work out. Text her the next day saying I was willing to talk about it with no reply. Texted her the day after that and said I regretted sending those texts. Again no response. On 3 weeks of no contact and want to attempt to build attraction again as I still have feelings for her. Should I follow the same steps or do you have any advice for this unique situation?
I think that you should let go because her actions indicate a clear disinterest in wanting anything to do with you any further and could have treated this as a fling. Since there had only been one date, it is unlikely that she would feel invested or has enough feelings for you at this point, and you shouldn't push any further.
When it comes to recontacting Wouldn’t be better to just ask to meet in person rather than building up through mediums say getting coffee instead of texting for three days before seeing each other. Or have I misread the advice?
If you have gone a period without contacting her and suddenly ask to meetup without first breaking the awkwardness or getting her familiar with you again, what are the odds of her agreeing to getting coffee in the first place? The whole point of texting first before working into a meetup is to increase your chances, lower her defenses, and ultimately ensure that the meetup is not wasted.
Me and my girlfriend were together for over three years. We had some conflicts because of misunderstanding and broke up. So I tried no contact rule and she drunk dialed me after 3 weeks of no contact and told me how much she missed me and loved me. But she is cold again next day.I don't want to rush things to get back together.What should I do?
Don't let the phone call get to you and continue following the guidelines in our main article on building the connection again with her.
My ex and I broke up on july 12th, the day we should have been together for 6 months. I'm not upset anymore *although I felt miserable at first* . we haven't talked once since then. Do you think I talk to him now or not?
You could reach out and start by building upon having a friendship between the both of you first and see where it takes you from there.
We’re going on 2 months of not talking. He’s continued to look at my stories since after the breakup. Sometimes he’s the first, so I figure he’s waiting for me to text him but I haven’t because the first time we broke up I always reached out to him. He never did. We’ve always spent such a great time together & everything going this second time he seemed to put more effort, he seemed different. Until he gave me the same excuse as the first saying he doesn’t have time, doesn’t want to waste mine & doesn’t know what he wants. I don’t know what to do. Should I contact him? Or wait. I feel like he’s not going to. He said he cared yet, hasn’t reached out. I’ve never been needy w: him & always gave him space. I just wish we could get back together, I don’t want to give up one him.
If it's been on your mind of late and bugging you, I suggest just reaching out to him first casually to get the ball rolling at least. He may not have initiated contact because he doesn't know how you feel and whether you'd be willing to talk to him, or he could simply be too prideful to do so.
My fiance last night called off the relationship stating he don't feel for me anymore. He loves me cares for me but he don't feel attracted or feel any love for me like it used to be earlier. We were about to get enaged in a week's time and now suddenly he said he don't feel excited and don't love me and feel for me like he used to. He has done this before also and i actually begged him to come back and so he came back...now yesterday I said ok go... you are free to leave. Can't force you to be in this relationship. But i hv loved him and I still love him alot and I really want that love back in him. Please help me. And is it compulsory to do no contact or can i talk to him occassionally?? Or what should I do please help. He hasn't blocked me and said we'll be friends you can talk to me whenever required. I haven't slept all night I can't let him go please suggest something.
It depends on what caused him to begin feeling this way towards you and whether you're able to change these aspects or not. Potentially, it could be lack of excitement and adventure in the relationship, or loss of physical attraction, or simply cold feet from his end. If you know there are aspects that need to be worked on and going into no contact would help give both parties some space to miss each other, I would recommend doing full no contact unless this issue (based on your past experience) was something that he gets over fairly quickly.
Hi
My girlfriend (22) just broke up with me (19) around a week ago. It was due to me being insecure and not taking account of her feelings most of the time. At times i am unable to read situations. The week before she decided to break up, we were on our 8th month dating and on the 2nd month of long distance relationship. She being in uk and me in ireland. She had 1 boyfriend before me and she was my first. The first 3-5 days after the break up i was quite clingy and cried. After talking to a few friends and seeing this website i decided to start NC just 2 days ago. She has me friendzones and told me she liked me but just did not love me anymore. I showed quite a bad side of me right after the break up, saying she was right it was all my fault, that i will only love her and crying. The main reason she decided to break up was due to me not being able to read situations in a row for the week before we broke up which made her very sad and she saying i was immature. I realised she was right and i was very immature handling our relationship and the break up, but its too late. What should i do now? I am currently in day 2-3 of NC and after reading a few of your articles understood better what i could and should do. But i am not sure what i shpuld do step by step yet. I also currently have a close friend at the same school as her. I told him not to tell me anything about her to me for the duration of NC. I cant decide the duration and future plans, what should i do?
Thank you the help and listening.
Loss of attraction is normal in many relationships because the initial spark that was first felt at the start of the relationship is generally diminished or lost. Sweet gestures, thoughtful surprises, or maybe even physical appearance tends to diminish over time as both parties get more comfortable being in a relationship with each other. However, this would also lead to a loss of attraction for the other person, which resulted in her still caring about you but no longer loving you. Since the negative memory of how you reacted during the breakup would still be etched onto her mind, it would be good to perhaps complete the given NC timeframe of 30 days before reaching out again. During this time, address the issues you felt caused the relationship to fall apart as well as focusing on self-improvement. This way, when you reach out again, it would be easier to re-create the spark she once saw in you, especially if you show significant changes and growth from your previous self.
Hi. Me and my ex were best friends for a year and in a relationship for almost 3. He recently broke up with me because he said that he felt as though he limited himself to spare my feelings and didn't want to be in a relationship anymore, yet he wants to be friends > and he needs time. I texted back a few days later stating that I was unclear about what any of it meant besides the fact that he doesn't want a relationship. He feels like I'm giving him a time limit (which I'm not, I just need to know if I should move on or not.) I guess I pissed him off and he said don't wait for him. I admit to coming off as needy and desperate at the end as I said that I still want him and letting him know that we can be great together against all odds, adding that this time apart will probably help. He hasn't responded. I'm beginning to go into the no contact, but I'm not sure of where this will end for us. What do you think?
It would depend on the circumstances of why he didn't want to be in a relationship with you anymore. Based on what he's said, it would seem like the best possible route to take for now is to respect that decision to take time apart (which you can implement NC concurrently). Start again as friends down the road and if an opportunity presents itself and you still have feelings for him, you could always consider starting something again. However, don't deliberately wait for that opportunity, and I would suggest moving forward with your life for now.
Hey!
my long distance girlfriend of 2 years broke up with me and said we can check in on each other occasionally and talk when she gets back in a month. at first i freaked out with neediness crying and face timing her and that only got her to the point of telling me we can't speak until she gets back. When i read your articles i realized that the no contact thing is the right call and immediately stopped contacting her but now theres only 2 weeks till she comes home. Our breakup wasn't bad and i know she still has feelings for me. What should i say to her when i see her?
Start by acknowledging the issues of the relationship with an elephant in the room text, followed by a light conversation to break the ice since it has been awhile that you last spoke to her.
Hi, pls I really need your advice on this. This guy said he's not ready for a relationship cos of some reasons even though he once asked me out. We actually spoke a couple of times after that but I kinda got tired of pretending to be cool with the whole friendship thing. So I decided to use no contact to move on and if possible, get him back. I did no contact for 2 months. In the first month, I broke the no contact to call him back after I ignored his call, which he didn't pick or return. So I decided to start no contact from day one again. I completed the 30 days no contact successfully and 6 days after (which was 4 days ago), he called me but I didn't pick cos I wasn't ready to talk to him. I later messaged him the next day. Told him I saw his missed call and he replied he wanted to talk/check on me. I then asked what he wanted to talk about but he didn't reply and I left it that way. 5 days after, he called me but I didn't pick cos I felt he's testing me. So now I'm wondering if I should wait for him to contact me again or I should?
Instead of going about this hot and cold game of missing each others calls and ignoring replies, how about try reaching out and if he doesn't respond, the next time he reaches out again you should answer.
I’ve known my ex for 6 years, dated for 5 months. We were good in the relationship. But something was off around the end, we ended it good, but three days later I texted her in a needy way and fought about it, she said she lost respect for me and wasn’t gonna unblock me. I did the unspeakable by sending gifts and hitting her up on other people’s phones. I finally gave in and went into no contact
To my surprise a week later hit me up said in the relationship she really left because I didn’t do much for her at times when she really needed it , I’m kind of instagram famous so she said the girls were getting to her and seeing how they looked better then her (they really didn’t ) she got really depressed and couldn’t handle it.(this was one of my real relationship so I had no real experience)
But she said she won’t forgive me, but she’s been my best friend for 6 years and this kinda happened before. I’m going into no contact with the mindset of I want her back, but I don’t need her back yknow? I think she has me blocked also, and she is in a new relationship (maybe rebound I don’t care) I’m just wondering what the next step is to Atleast try to build a connection with her again. We both said we learned from our experience but I feel like if I had this knowledge of a real relationship before it would of worked even better
Your mentality is the right one to have as it doesn't build up unnecessary expectations that would cause you to do something you'd end up regretting. If she has blocked you currently, going about no contact until she eventually unblocks you would be the best way to go about it, because it doesn't overstep boundaries of you approaching her while she isn't ready. It also sets you up nicely to reconnect since by the time she unblocks you, she would have at least accepted the breakup previously and may not harbor any negative emotions towards you already.
She dated some guy Atleast two weeks after we broke up, I haven’t checked her Instagram or anything but mutual friends say she seems happy. Recently she texted me saying “I moved on. I’m happy with my life. Like I don’t hate you I just don’t want to deal with it at this point” and I’m wondering if I even still have a fighting chance. People tell me to move on but something in my heart tells me to keep fighting. I’m going into no contact regardless since she blocked me, but in the future should I hit her up first or wait?
I would honestly suggest in this case that you go into no contact and actually consider moving forward with your life for the time being. While she may not hate you, it may still be a while before she's ready to talk to you again and you don't want to just be sitting around waiting for that day to come. Your chance would probably come sometime in the future when both of you have progressed and grown in your own ways, and she has totally let go of the past. At that time, she would have definitely moved on and you might even have as well but should you still have feelings for her, that would be the best time to start over. You would have to win her heart all over again but it would beat trying to pick up broken pieces of the relationship right now.
Hry i had a 2 year relationship with my ex now she has moved on and we ended up in awful terms i contacted her after 20 days now she speaks with me in fine manner moreover she also sometimes speak on the call that everything is going wrong from the day you left but when i talk about getting back together she changes the topic.... She also invited me for a hangout.... How to get her back and break her currwnt relationship
Take things slow, and avoid jumping the gun on asking her to get back together each time you talk to her. Build the attraction up bit by bit before taking things to the next step.
I messed up. I accused my fwb of something only to find out I was wrong. This is the second time we had a huge fight. The first was I implemented no contact but only lasted for few days because he reached out and I did not resist. Now, since I know I was at fault, I voluntarily told him, Im going to step back. He said, he will give me time for myself to think things through. He cant forgive and trust me anymore for what I have done. He also said that he does not want to see me. But he also mentioned that I can still count on him but he cant be supporting my behaviour. I scared him, thats what he said. I came off extremely needy and impulsive. Will the no contact gonna work for us? Does he really mean what he said? Any perspective please.
It sounds like he still has feelings for you but is simply feeling hurt and betrayed right now. Giving both parties some space and breathing room would probably help, especially once he calms down a little more and is more receptive towards your approach in mending the situation.
Someone help. We went out for 2 months and contacted ex after a month, he blocked me via phone and everything however I called him with no number and he picked up. I apologised for everything and he apologised for hurting me. Only spoke for 1 min. How do I go about contact now?
Currently, you should wait until he unblocks you before reaching out again. If you go about doing so with private numbers, it'll only make him think that you're behaving desperately and it would push him further away. Let him come to terms with things at his own pace.
Please help me. I completed no contact and then called my ‘friends with benefits’ after 32 days, we spoke for 1 minute, general convo and apologised for everything, he also said he’s sorry for hurting me. I basically was pregnant and he wanted me to have an abortion but instead I had a miscarriage :( I’ve only known him since March. The thing is when we argued, he blocked me from everything. Even calls. So I had to call him with no number. So how do I go about everything now. The only way to get in touch with him is if I call with no caller ID, please help.
At this point, you're going to have to simply wait until he unblocks you because continuously contacting him through private numbers is one of the fastest way to push him away because that behavior will come across as desperate and stalkerish.
Thanks for the reply. So how am I meant to do this, call him every week to see if he’s unblocked me? Maybe his pride won’t unblock me. He also said when I was pregnant that he has a girlfriend. Just losing hope to be honest
It might honestly be better to make the decision to walk away instead. It's less emotionally abusive to yourself in the long run, especially if you never know whether he might decide to unblock you or not. If you decide that you want to pursue this still, every week may be a little extreme maybe try a text once every 2 weeks, and if after 2 months you still don't get a reply, you're probably better off moving on.
So I contacted him on no caller ID a week ago, he was pleasant at first and then told me that it would be best if I stopped contacting him in case his so called gf finds out. I was like sure that’s absolutely fine - had a cry after that. Anyway the next day he unblocks me on WhatsApp and tells me he wants to meet up with me and sleep with me basically. I said I was busy on those days he suggested however I did ask him if he would like to meet this Friday. He hasn’t replied and I know he has read my message, also I haven’t seen him much online on WhatsApp. Please help. I really want to message him but what do I say if I’ve been blanked however I’m not unblocked
Danielle,
I just read through your message....
the guy i'm seeing is similar to yours.... everytime we argue, he blocks me from whatsapp....
how are you guys doing now?
If he didn't respond to you, don't pressure him or bring it up again and give him some space for the time being before considering to reach out or ask him out again. You want to show him you've changed and are capable of taking things easy so don't get impatient or freak out if he doesn't respond the way you intend for him to.
Thank you! I love this site. The last message I sent his was last Friday, when I asked him if he would be available this Friday evening. When would I send him a message again and what would I say? It’s been 5 days. He used to do this before and that’s why I would argue because he used to ignore me like this. I’m trying to be so patient
1 week may be too soon to reach out again after the last failed attempt. 2 weeks might be a better idea and you could reach out with a 'memory' text where you randomly text him about something you were doing that reminded you of a certain shared memory you guys had in the past.
So I met up with him today and we slept together. It wasn’t long at all. Like just an hour. Anyway it was so awkward. I took him a bar of chocolate though as a peace offering, he did say thanks. He goes at the end when he was leaving, ‘see you around and I will message you just incase’
I’m not sure how I’m meant to feel actually. Like I don’t know how he thinks of me, we didn’t talk much. I apologised and he said just forget about it and if he was angry with me, he wouldn’t have come to see me. So what do I do now in regards to contact? He really doesn’t like me does he
Thank you! I love this site. The last message I sent his was last Friday, when I asked him if he would be available this Friday evening. When would I send him a message again? It’s been 5 days. He used to do this before and that’s why I would argue because he used to ignore me like this. I’m trying to be so patient
I have contacted my ex after no contact for1 and a half months, we went out for two months. I spaced three good reminder messages out within two weeks. All three were ignored. Its been 2 weeks since I last sent that last message. What should I do?
Send one more message out, and if your ex still doesn't respond, you're going to have to face the reality that he/she is no longer interested in talking to you and consider moving on.
Hi, my husband recently left me for someone else. We have a 5 month old and a 2 year old together. I am taking the time to work on myself and actually enjoying ‘me’ time and creating new passions. This has actually been a good thing for me even though I am obviously heartbroken. Will the no contact (minimal contact as we have children) and the contact after still work if he’s seeing someone else? Thanks
It would work if the changes you made to yourself during no contact were prominent enough, and the relationship he once shared with you was a meaningful one (which it sounded like).
My gf and I (both 20) were together for 5 months, and she recently broke up with me saying that she thinks she wants to do her own thing. However, she was obviously very upset with it and was bawling. We were very close.
She’s the kind of person to move on from things quickly and do her “own thing” (she’s also very stubborn), so I decided that two weeks of NC would be sufficient. Basically, I texted her and asked if she had seen the Halloween (2018) movie trailer. She said she hadn’t and even asked me some questions about it. I ended up saying “I remember how much you love that series, so make sure you don’t miss it” to which she replied “thanks!!!” and I decided not to reply to that. I didn’t come across desperate at all and it also served as a subtle reminder of when she and I watched that movie together early on in our relationship, at least in my opinion. It was a brief but good conversation.
Also, what might be worth noting is that we both acted very mature during the break up process. I told her it was okay, I understood, “no I don’t hate you, my friends don’t hate you” and that she could contact me if she ever needed anything. I then went straight into NC for two weeks with making any of those common post-break up mistakes at all.
So I guess my next questions are:
1. Do you think my text was a good move?
2. Is there a possibility she found it to be desperate?
3. Where do I go from here? Like when do I text her again, and what should it be about?
4. Overall, does this seem like a salvageable situation to you? Based on what I’ve told you
1. Your text seemed fine and her response also indicated that it wasn't overbearing or desperate.
2. The only chances of that happening was if she had a negative perception of you already, and by contacting her, it further reinforced that idea.
3. Perhaps wait a couple of days before reaching out again and starting a new topic. You can use this article for more ideas.
4. Based on how she responded, there doesn't seem to be any resentment but it would still depend on where she stands on the whole 'wanting to do her own thing' and if she's open to the idea of a relationship at this point again or not.
Thanks for the reply Ryan! I hope you don’t mind me asking a couple more questions.
I texted her today (Wednesday) about the CBS show “Big Brother” because we both enjoyed watching it together. We had a good conversion about it, longer than our last one, and I again got a better response than I was expecting. Even some laughing emojis, lol. She seemed pretty invested with the conversation. I noticed the conversation kinda starting to get dull after a little while, so I decided to stop texting her at that point.
My next “move” that I have planned out is pretty big, and it may be jumping the gun a little too soon. But something in me is telling me that I should give it a try. The season finale of big brother is on September 26th. My thought is that I ask her if she wants to watch it together. A text along the lines of “hey, I was wondering if you would wanna watch the season finale of big brother together just for good ole times sake? I completely understand if you aren’t up for it, just thought I would ask. I don’t really know anybody else that I could watch it with” etc. Even if she says no, I know that she would be impressed that I had enough confidence and “balls” to ask. Me attempting power moves like that are kinda what brought us together in the first place. I dunno. I’d like to hear what you have to say.
1. I will likely try to contact her one or two more times before I ask about big brother (if it’s not an absolutely horrible idea). I’m thinking about perhaps using the “advice” text next simply so I don’t seem redundant as the last two texts fell under the category of “interest” and “memory”. Good idea or should I use a different text?
2. Your overall thoughts on my big brother plan?
3. If she were to say no, what step do I take from there? Is it just time to move on at that point or is there still a chance after I give her some more space?
4. A little unrelated to my previous questions- she has been very active on social media all of a sudden. She’s posted 7 Snapchat stories in 2 weeks when usually she wouldn’t even post that many in two months! It just seems off to me. Isn’t it usually the broken-hearted one who starts posting on SM a lot out of the blue to show that they’re okay? The stories she’s posted in general are very pointless. No captions, nothing exciting. Nothing with friends. One selfie posted. It may be irrational for me to think that way. Could be completely coincidental. Just a thought. What’s your opinion?
Thanks!
Apologies for the delayed response. How did your plan fair? It seemed like a good one, and to help you with some of the questions you had, if she responds negatively towards it, your chances are not ruined or anything. Simply back away for the time being, give her some space before approaching again. It might be a little sudden to pull a big move on her but since that's what made her fall for you in the first place, I don't see the harm in simply being yourself. The sudden posting on social media may not have to do with the one who gets dumped in the relationship but rather the one who's determined to convince themselves that they're okay. It seems like perhaps she's in the missing you stage and may have gotten affected by you, which resulted in her sudden outbursts of posts. Alternatively, it could have simply had nothing to do with anything and there was no ulterior motive for it.