Breakup guilt is a real thing. Even if the breakup was mutual, you might find yourself feeling guilty for moving on. Breakup guilt can prevent you from enjoying your new relationships, your new dates, or even your newly found single life.
It can also cause you to doubt your decision to break up in the first place. If you’re feeling guilty about moving on, then you’re at the right place: keep reading.
How to stop feeling guilty for moving on?
1- It’s okay to be happy:
First, try to remind yourself that it’s OK to be happy. You don’t have to feel guilty for being happy after a breakup, especially if it meant that you chose yourself and put yourself first.
You may find yourself thinking, “How can I be happy when they’re still hurting?” or “I should be sadder than this.” However, it’s important to allow yourself to find joy again. Just because you’re not dwelling on your ex 24/7 doesn’t mean you’re being disrespectful or that you don’t care about what happened.
Instead, it means you’re choosing to focus on the present and the future. The act of moving on is a sign that you’re strong enough to keep going, even when things are tough.
It’s also important to remember that breakups are a natural part of life. Everyone goes through them, and everyone eventually moves on. So don’t beat yourself up for moving on from your ex. Just enjoy your new relationship and your new life. And, next time you start to feel guilty for being happy, remind yourself that you deserve to find joy again.
2- You’re not betraying anyone:
It’s totally normal to feel guilty after breaking up with your ex. After all, you probably shared a lot of great memories together. But it’s important to remember that you’re not betraying your ex by moving on. The two of you made a consensual decision to break up, and you’re both free to date other people and find yourselves again.
It’s normal to feel like you’re doing something wrong by barely thinking of yourself as a single, especially after having been in a relationship for so long. In that relationship, you have focused on that one person that you made your everything and more and you valued them. You were faithful to them for a very long time.
So now the thought of being able to do whatever you want can seem a bit like a betrayal to them, but this is not true. You have both left the relationship knowingly and are both single and free of any commitment now. So if you find someone new that you’re attracted to, don’t hesitate to pursue them.
You deserve to be happy, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to find love again after a break-up. Plus, if your ex is truly happy with someone else, or if they do find someone then you’ll be doing them a favor by moving on. It will be better than waiting for them or starting to stalk them in some way. So don’t feel guilty, you’re just doing what’s best for everyone involved.
3- Stop feeling obliged to care about your ex:
We’ve all been there: you’ve gone through a breakup, and you’re finally starting to feel better. You’re going out with friends, enjoying your life, and perhaps even dating other people. And then, all of a sudden, you start feeling guilty. You think about your ex and wonder if you’re being disloyal or mean by moving on.
Or maybe you think about your ex and wonder if they’re healthy, lonely, safe, happy, etc. But the truth is, there’s no reason to feel guilty about moving on after a breakup. Your relationship is over, and you’re entitled to find happiness wherever you can.
As hard to accept as it can be, that person is gone from your life and you should accept that you’re no longer a priority of theirs anymore, no matter how much you mattered to them at some point in time. You’re now just another of their exes, and it’s about time they start meaning the same to you.
So do not feel obliged to concern yourself with their well-being, good health, and happiness. It will be wiser to concern yourself with your own!
4- Life goes on:
In the end, life goes on whether you want it to or not. You can choose to dwell on the past and feel guilty for moving on, or you can accept that nothing is permanent and use the experience as an opportunity for growth.
When a relationship ends, it’s natural to feel sad and even heartbroken. But just because you’re feeling those things doesn’t mean you have to stop living your life. You might not be ready to jump into another relationship right away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t date or have fun with your friends.
Take the time you need to heal, but don’t dwell on the pain forever. Life is too short to waste time feeling guilty for moving on. In the end, you will still have to feed yourself, take showers and keep breathing whatever happens because nobody else can do this for you. Time stops for no one, so you will have to suck it in and move on.