Why You Should Unfollow Your Ex on Social Media
Break-ups suck. Every little thing reminds you of him. You constantly have to stop yourself from texting him. You will feel sad for a little while as you say goodbye to the relationship and to the dream of your future together. Getting over an ex is hard enough, there is no need to make it more painful. So please, do yourself a favor and unfollow your ex on social media.
I see so many young women post breakup get derailed by something they see their ex do (or not do) on social media. You don’t have complete control of censoring everything you see on social media, but you do the have the power to limit what you come across. Save yourself the unnecessary pain & drama.
Save yourself from reading into your ex’s behavior
Post break-up, you’re prone to be reading between the lines of everything your ex does & says. It’s exhausting. Adding social media into the mix makes it much more complicated. I so often see young women wondering if their ex is throwing shade in some post, or why they are suddenly very active on Instagram when they hated it before. Or why they haven’t watched your story yet, or what it means if they do. This constant mind reading is ultimately unhelpful to you and your healing. Unfollowing your ex will vastly reduce your chances of wasting your mental space on what his latest Instagram post means.
Save yourself from torturing yourself about that person you haven’t met before
You’re mindlessly scrolling through Instagram at work & suddenly see your ex in a photo with someone you don’t know. Immediately you’re wondering if he’s already dating, how he met this person, etc. Now your mood has tanked and you can’t focus at work the rest of the day. Or after a fun night out, you go to pay a friend on Venmo and see your ex paid someone you don’t know for drinks the other night. Now you’ve wasted an hour of your evening stalking this stranger for more info and ended what was a fun night with friends feeling down. Ultimately, you don’t need to know. Unfollow, and reclaim your days & nights for yourself.
Save yourself from comparing who is “more over” the other
Social media is inherently curated, we all put our highlight reel online. If you’re honest with yourself, you’re probably more prone to stalk your ex on social media when you’re feeling lonely. Especially in those moments, there is no benefit in comparing yourself to your ex’s highlight reel on social media. It’s not helpful to gauge who is “more over” the other. Everyone heals at their own pace. Seeing your ex on social media may actually hijack your healing process. Take your time & let yourself progress in your own timeline.
Save yourself from unnecessary information about your ex
Many of us head to social media to mindlessly kill a few minutes waiting in line, when bored, etc. In a typical season, this may not be a huge deal. Post breakup, however, you may be unprepared for what you come across. Do you really need to know what your ex right now? Do you really need to see him out drunk with his friends?
Ultimately, Save Your Time & Energy
There can be a lot of resistance to unfollowing your ex on social media. You may feel petty or fear it’s a permanent move. Ask yourself - how will following my ex on social media benefit me? How will it harm me?
Now do it. Go block, unfollow, mute, whatever you need to restore your sanity in this post break-up season. It’s not petty, it’s self care. You will thank yourself later.
If you’re ready to reclaim your voice & confidence post breakup, reach out today for your free 15 minute consultation call to see if we’re a good fit for your counseling goals. We love empowering young women in Dublin, CA and the greater east bay area looking for therapy to find their voice and reclaim their confidence.