Against all odds, you’ve met someone you think is amazing and you can’t quite believe your luck. You start texting and flirting, he mentions going out… and then he stops responding. WTF? It’s tempting to sit around guessing at why you haven’t heard from him or waiting around for when he finally gets his act together, but that’s a waste of time. Here’s what you should do instead:
- Get a new side hustle or hobby. You know that one thing you’ve always been meaning to do? You should take this opportunity to just do it. You need a distraction right now, and there’s nothing better than pouring your heart and soul into something you truly love and something that will return that love in one way or another. Not only will it take your mind off waiting for his text, it will increase your overall happiness.
- Set up your Tinder profile. If you’re not on Tinder, what are you doing? Of course, it’s great going out and spontaneously meeting someone face-to-face, but it’s also really hard to see someone’s true motives after meeting them for a few hours on a drunken Saturday night. Yes, you can also get burned on Tinder, but it connects you with a ton of people you’d never otherwise meet. You’re single, so don’t limit yourself to one guy who’s clearly not that keen on dating you.
- Remember how AWESOME you are. I’m serious. Take out your favorite notebook and pen and make a list of all the reasons why you’re fabulous and a total catch. Forget about feeling silly — you need a boost of confidence right now, and why shouldn’t that come from you? You’re great and you deserve a man who realizes this. Don’t settle for any less.
- Express yourself in writing. I’m a writer, so this one always makes me feel better. Even if you’re not, the process of writing even just a few sentences when your feelings are getting on top of you can seriously work wonders. If you know you’re not going to stick to a blog, then just jot things down in a journal. Let all the bad stuff out and make room for happier thoughts.
- Plan your next big vacation. There’s nothing more exciting than Googling all the fun places you could visit on your next getaway. Just looking through the pictures of sun, sea, and sand will transport your mind somewhere exotic and dreamlike where terrible guys don’t exist! And you’ll be organizing concrete plans for your time off work so that you don’t end up chilling in your jammies at home, wasting away the entire week.
- Have some serious girl time. You’ve known this dude, what, all of a few days or weeks? Don’t allow someone that new on the scene to have an impact on you. You know those girls who you’ve known all your life, your BFFs? Call them up, get the pizza and wine in, and chill out. I don’t know a problem that can’t be fixed by pizza or wine.
- Go out and kiss someone new. In case you were in need of a reminder, there are plenty of guys out there who would want to kiss your face off, date you, or even marry you. All you need to do is get on out there and find them. There’s no better way to get someone off your mind than kissing someone else. He’s probably going to be nicer, too, and if he’s not, you can always move on to the next one!
- Treat yourself to something you’ve had your eye on. Sometimes, new clothes/shoes/bags/accessories are justified. These times include first dates, breakups, promotions, birthdays, and definitely some jerk you let yourself get super excited about who’s now not texting you back. Go shopping, try on something that makes you feel hot, and tell the girl staring back at you in the mirror that she’s beautiful. Material things aren’t everything, but sometimes treating yourself does wonders when it comes to making you feel better.
- Be too busy to even remember that loser. You know it isn’t love, and you might feel silly for being so upset over someone you haven’t even known that long, but it doesn’t stop the rejection from hurting any less. Instead of thinking about what he didn’t like about you, focus on why he’s not right for you — because he definitely isn’t — and then be done with it. Focus on all the positive things happening in your life right now. Keep busy, and you’ll forget him without even trying to.
- Give thanks. Because if he can’t be bothered to send you a quick text back, that shows what jerk he really is under the surface. Thank your lucky stars you dodged a bullet with this one. Phew. Delete his number from your phone, block him on all social media, and don’t look back.
