From Venmo To Snap Map, Here's How To Digitally Disconnect From Your Ex

For Trina Leckie, host of Breakup BOOST podcast, the best way to disconnect after a breakup is to limit all the digital contact you have with your ex, from texting and calling to looking at their social media. "You have to accept that the relationship has come to an end and make your healing the priority," Leckie tells Elite Daily. "When you keep someone top of mind, you don’t give yourself a chance to distance yourself to get your emotions in check and get the clarity you need."

If you find you keep peeking on your ex's page or you can’t resist clicking on notifications from them, Martinez suggests putting your ex on mute. "I would say you should mute their account until you are fully ready to unfollow them," Martinez says. "If you aren’t ready to completely cut them off, mute their account, so it doesn’t pop up on your feed." Putting their texts on "Do Not Disturb" may also help you, so you don't get a notification if they do reach out, and can choose to respond on your own time when and if you feel ready to.

If you're still following your ex after a breakup, it can be easy to catch yourself lurking on their page a little bit or overthinking everything they're up to. As Martinez shares, showing your ex the digital door, (i.e., unfriending or unfollowing them on social media) can help you get some final closure. "If you’re not interested in having a connection with this person, then why follow them?" Martinez says. "If you really want to close that chapter, you don’t need an update on their next partner, their job, or what they had for dinner."

If your relationship ended badly and you never want to talk to your ex again, or you’re really struggling to get over the heartache, Leckie says it's OK to fully block your ex from social media and from texting or calling. "The goal is out of sight, out mind," Leckie says. "That way, you aren't tempted to check on them, and you won't constantly be wondering if you are going to hear from them."

Honestly, bless Instagram's archiving feature. If you're tired of seeing old couples pics of you and your ex but aren't quite ready to delete everything, archiving your photos is the IG equivalent of throwing a box under the bed. You don't have to see it, but it's not gone forever. Of course, if you’re really feeling done, it’s OK to delete photos, too.

If you and your boo shared a bunch of online accounts, consider this the time to change all your passwords. You don't need to see what movies they're watching or what annoying things they're buying on Amazon Prime.

Seeing that your ex is getting sushi at that place that you told them about is just going to make you upset. Disconnect from Find My Friends, Snapchat's Snap Map, or anything else that tells you exactly where they are.

Know what you don't need to see? Your ex's best friend's IG Story of your ex out at the "clurb." If you follow a bunch of your ex's pals, consider unfollowing or muting them for a while. Or forever.

You may think this is extra, but what's really extra is going on Venmo to pay your roomie for your electricity bill and seeing your ex Venmoing that person you always used to fight about (because they would flirt in front of you) for "drinks" at your favorite bar.

I don't care what Co-Star says, they are not your perfect match, and you don't need to see what intentions they are setting for today.

You may have forgotten that you even followed them on Spotify, but you will always remember spitting out your coffee at work when a playlist titled "Screw My Ex" came up in your Spotify friend activity.

Your Finsta, their Finsta, their friends' Finstas... when you start muting or unfollowing, don't forget about everyone's second account. You won't regret it.

Recovering from a breakup can be hard for everyone. Still, getting some digital distance from your ex can help you heal faster. And sometimes, emotionally recharging means letting your phone die for a bit.

Sources:

Pricilla Martinez, CEO of Regroop Life Coaching

Trina Leckie, host of Breakup BOOST podcast