There is never a good time to break up with someone, ever, so when you know you want out, you should just buck up and do it."
Everyone has been dumped or dumped someone, but there is a formula
for success in this game to make sure both parties survive the ego
bruise.
Where was I when I discovered the trick to kicking the
craziness that comes from getting dumped?
I’m glad you asked. I was at
the supermarket checkout, waiting beside the magazines. I seriously saw
God in an issue of
US Weekly. OK, it wasn’t actually God in the
US Weekly;
it was a tiny, pocket-sized book about dealing with breakups. I don’t
know how it got there (my guess is it fell out of an issue of
Cosmo), but I was convinced that this travel-sized self-help book was specifically there for me.
I
burned through it before it was even my turn to pay for my discounted
tortilla chips. I don’t remember much of what the book said, but what I
do remember is that it used the word rejection about eight million times. A girl who I was gating had just dumped me. I knew the breakup
was coming. In fact, after a year we had started trying a "companionship" thing (a.k.a. "Friends With Benefits"), which basically just allowed us to still enjoy each other sexually before
we had officially ended the relationship. When we officially broke up I wasn’t
surprised (I broke it off, but only because she wasn't in to it anymore), but it hit me hard later. I wanted this too, but she made the final
call. I was rejected first. Seeing her every night was torture.
During the days, while working, I felt focused and free. I rarely thought of her, but
come time for us to settle in for the evening, I found myself unable to resist her beauty and charm, as though
that would change things. Rejection. Screw it. It was then that I
realized how much of getting dumped is just an ego bruise.
There Is No Good Time To Break Up With Someone, Ever
How many times have you heard someone who was just dumped say, “And on
New Year's, so brutal” or “How could he/she do this so close to my dog’s
birthday?” Get real.
Dumpers: There is never a
good time to break up with someone, ever, so when you know you want out,
you should just buck up and do it. It’s far crueler to stay with
someone out of pity, fear, cowardliness or laziness. While we’re on the
subject of ripping the Band-Aid off, if you have been hanging out with
someone long enough to need to actually break it off to get out of
seeing him or her, then a text is not an acceptable method of
communication!
Dumpees: Life sucks. Toughen up. You are not alone.
Take A Break
I once had a two-year relationship with this girl we’ll call Mia. Mia
was an incredible girlfriend. She had manners, she was hot, she was driven,
witty and she was a slayer in bed. It was only when Mia and I broke up
that I realized the magic of not speaking and how it can save your life
after breaking up.
Dumpers: Do not text, phone,
email, Facebook, Instagram, tweet or communicate with the person you
broke up with for at least half the amount of time you were together, or
until the person you dumped says it is OK. And even then, proceed with
caution.
Dumpees: You know what rules about
Facebook? You can hide people from your feed without deleting them. This
is what you need to do when you have been dumped. (While we’re on the
subject of Facebook, never put your relationship status on there,
seriously. It sucks when you break up.) You also need to email the
dumper and say you cannot speak until you feel OK. The person will get
it. Plus, he or she probably doesn’t want to talk to you for a while
either. Ban yourself from communication and if you run into each other
in public, say hello politely and move along. Restraint is what it’s all
about here.
Don’t Ask Questions When You Don't Want To Know The Answers
Just don’t. Don’t ask about who your ex is sleeping with or what she was doing with that guy at that bar. Ignorance is bliss.
Focus on Yourself
Dumpers/Dumpees: You are now single. It’s time to focus
on yourself and what you want. This is a liberating time. Never forget
that. Breaking up is not the end of the world. There will be another
relationship, another great love and another bad ending. It’s just life.
We all do it and we’re all still here, aren’t we?