10. The sex probably wasn’t actually that good. The next man will be better.
11. Think of all your single female friends who are incredible. Versus your single male friends who are… nowhere, and don’t exist. Would you ever blame them for not being able to make a relationship last? No. So don’t blame yourself.
12. He had elements of tooldom that you chose to overlook. Like a tendency to make fun of overweight women on the street, or having a pretentious style blog nobody read, or wearing glasses that made him look like a lesbian. (Three of my exes.) Time to remember those qualities and blow them the UP.
If you’re one of those types who wants to give him the benefit of the doubt (“No, he’s great, it was my fault!”) stop. Just let yourself believe he’s a dickhead. You will either hate him or yourself, and better that it’s him.
13. You're not going to be Alone Forever just because some guy "needed to focus more on his job," Ms. Crazytown. So stop having anxiety attacks about being that crone who is limping down the street with a shopping cart full of empty plastic bags.
14. There is an expiration date on the grieving period. Dragging out the whole sad-sack routine is not good for anybody, least of all yourself. It might take awhile to get over, but it’ll be quicker if you distract yourself with non-moping, non-reading-old-texts-and-crying activities.
15. Going the self-destructive route will make it worse. Being dumped gives you the impulse to drink too much, go home with randos, smoke a pack a day and party every night. But treating yourself like you’re worthless will send you backwards emotionally rather than forward. Don’t let one relationship land you in a twelve-step program.
16. You are so, so, so, so young. So young.
17. It’s not the end of the world. People break up all the time, and Earth has still stuck around for 4.5 billion years. So like, there’s that.
18. Your friends are significantly more important than any guy you break up with in your twenties. And you still have them, right? You’re good.
19. You don’t want to be stuck with someone before you finish growing up. You are half an adult at this point, and staying/growing with another half-adult can end up with both of you sort of stunted and weird, like one of those strawberries that has a tiny strawberry growing on it. The person you successfully end up with will be someone you choose when you’re your own fully-formed individual strawberry.
20. Frosted Flakes still exist. Which is my go-to sad food, but yours might be Ben & Jerrys or chocolate cake, or kale if you’re someone I immediately hate. Go get some.
21. Things happen for a reason, and this happened because he was the wrong guy for you. Don’t be hard on yourself about why he dumped you. The exact reason he dumped you is the reason someone else will (probably already does) love you. Now get me some Frosted Flakes