How to Stop Facebook-Stalking Your Ex
Going through a break up is not easy, especially if you're the one who got broken up with. Even if you don't see your ex anymore, you may still keep track of their life using social media. That's not a wise thing to do because if you keep clinging to old memories, you won't be able let go of a past relationship. How to stop Facebook-stalking your ex and move on?According to research, the more hurt by the breakup you are, the more you're tempted to Facebook-stalk you ex. Of course, it makes sense. If you were the one to end the relationship because it didn't make you happy or if it was a mutual decision, you don't have any reason to relive the past and keep tabs on your ex.
But when you were dumped and still cannot put up with the fact that your relationship is over, you may be compelled to relive your happy memories using Facebook. And if you're feeling bitter and sad, you may Facebook-stalk your ex hoping to find out that they are miserable, too (as if they would use Facebook to share their misery with the world).
Stalking your ex on Facebook won't do you any good, so you should stop it. First and foremost, decide whether you want to unfriend your ex or not. If your relationship ended well and you're still on good terms, you don't have to unfriend them. But if you feel betrayed and heartbroken, you absolutely should unfriend your ex: out of sight, out of mind.
But that's just a beginning. You surely have some mutual friends who still hang out with your ex, and their statuses and pictures that remind you of your ex keep popping on your news feed. Luckily, Facebook allows to temporarily unsubscribe from a person's updates without unfriending them. You will still remain friends, but you won't see their updates on your feed anymore.
Of course, unfriending and/or unfollowing your ex doesn't prevent you from viewing their profile (unless it is friends-only). Ultimately, stopping Facebook-stalking your ex is about self-control. Every time you want to check their profile, remind yourself about two things. First, you relationship ended for a reason. You didn't make each other happy. Second, Facebook isn't an accurate representation of reality. Most people keep negative things to themselves, so even if your ex's posts seem amazing, their life might be not so happy as it seems.
If you can't resist the temptation, think about unplugging for at least a day (an entire weekend will be even better). No phone, tablet, and computer – no Facebook, it's that simple. If you're afraid of being left alone with your thoughts, find something useful to do or ask your friends to hang out with you. We're sure they will be glad to help.
Sometimes going cold turkey is the best way to stop addiction (and that's what Facebook-stalking is). If you survive several days without logging in and viewing your ex's profile, things will get better, we promise!