Why do we hold on for so long and continue to beat the relationship dead-horse? I get not wanting to give up so easily on love, but at some point, you’re accomplishing nothing but hurting yourself. When a relationship is truly over, the best thing to do is give it a proper memorial and let it go. If you’re like me, these 9 parts of your life will quickly benefit from cutting the ties with that no-good bum.
- Your diet and fitness regimen will get back on track. You may think you’d be more motivated to look your best when you have someone to look good for, but this isn’t the case. You first snagged this dude with your looks, but after hanging out for a while it’s easy to get comfortable. Comfort leads to indulgence and those little dinner dates can easily pack on the pounds. You also don’t have as much time to hit the gym when you’re with him so much. As soon as I kicked my toxic guy to the curb, my motivation to get my body back together shot up. I knew I wasn’t about to be out here looking sorry and hopeless because of him. It was time to shape back up for the next guy.
- You’ll be killing it at work. Dating really is a distraction. Actually, to be precise, dating the wrong dude is. The right man is going to encourage and empower you to be on fire in all areas of your life, but a lame will drag you down and suck all your resources dry. After letting him go, I really saw an immediate improvement in my ethic and drive when it came to my productivity at the workplace.
- Your relationships with others will improve. Your friends, however happy they may be for you, can get really tired of hearing all your cheesy gushing when things are going well between you and your guy. Then, when it all goes south, you hit them with the endless whining and complaints. When you’re free of that zero, you can go back to being your true self and the person in their lives your circle knew and loved before him. Most of the time, toxic dudes pull you away from your people instead of integrating into your life. After the breakup, it’s time to mend untended-to connections.
- Your mood will be lifted. Let the burden lift when you return that regret to the meat market. He’s now some other girl’s problem and no longer yours. Rejoice! It’s crazy how all the grievances and annoying things he was doing that irked you just end once you decide to put a stop to it. Dragging out a breakup just keeps the little things building up. Release him so it can all go away and you can be your best self again.
- Your hope for the future will return. Once the dead weight is out of your life, you can be hopeful for a better tomorrow. When things got bleak with him, all you could see were arguments and tension down the road. It’s no fun to tiptoe around someone and constantly anticipate when you’ll be a rider on their next emotional rollercoaster. When you’re back to being single, you can actually make plans on how you’re going to get back to living your best life and improve your situation without being held back by that drama.
- Your financial situation will look a whole lot better. I can’t stand men who complain about paying for a date. I paid my part in advance. It’s not cheap to look and smell good for him all the time. I invest a lot when I really like a guy. I give him presents, buy cute lingerie to wear for him, and spend money on cooking him dinner at home or setting the mood with candles and rose petals. Whenever the relationship runs its course, all the money I was putting into impressing someone who didn’t appreciate me or fully see my worth can now just stay with me and be used on myself.
- Your self-care routine will get the focus it deserves. After the initial sink into the dump pit of moping, I came out more determined to work on me. I downloaded new smartphone apps to guide meditation and implement the use of positive affirmations. I didn’t want to stay in a dark and unproductive place, so I worked that much harder to lift my spirits and focus on self-improvement.
- Your self-respect will be cemented. I needed to trust my inner voice more and see that guy clearly for who he truly was. I kept idealizing him when he was really putting little to no effort into our relationship and, quite frankly, was semi-boring anyway. I had to remind myself that I can definitely do better.
- Your standards will rise. Every breakup should add to your list of “never-agains.” You need to take failing as a learning experience. Next time, you’re going to be smarter and more discerning from the jump when it comes to these dudes. You’re going to see a red flag from miles away and know how to put a halt to his a-h0le tendencies. You will be privy to the games. You will know your worth and be better equipped to weed out the lames.