Unrequited love can be common. Loving someone you've never dated or someone who does not love you, in the same way, may feel painful. If you've never had an official relationship with this person, you might feel confused about why it hurts to get over them. When figuring out how to get over a crush, validating your own emotions, being gentle with yourself, and seeking professional support may all be helpful.
Ways To Move On From Someone You Didn't Date
When trying to get over someone you never dated, you may want to avoid contact with them for a while, putting your energy toward other activities that matter to you. Journaling and self-affirmation may help you sort through your feelings and build your sense of self. Below are a few steps on moving forward from someone you didn't date.
Create Distance
It's often helpful to avoid contact and stop communicating with the person you've been pining for, at least for a while. Although this avoidance could be difficult if you have similar social circles, it may allow you the distance to focus on removing yourself from your feelings. Many people may find it easier to get over a romantic interest when they're not constantly running into them in public. Repeated contact may reinforce your feelings. Digital contact could have the same effects, so you may want to take steps to stop yourself from "checking on" the other person through social media.
Each time you return to their profile, you might reactivate your brain's reward systems. That's why many people might find it more effective to cut out contact completely. The time it takes for you to feel comfortable speaking to them again may vary from a few weeks to a few months or even longer. However, consider starting with 30 days to see how it feels.
Affirm Your Feelings
Feelings of shame or self-blame could cause you to feel guilty, embarrassed, or angry with yourself for feeling attached to someone you did not have a romantic relationship with. You may wonder why you are feeling sad and have trouble legitimizing your sense of loss. While these feelings can be understandable, they might prevent you from processing your grief. Many people find relief from self-validation instead of suppression.
It might be helpful to remind yourself that it can be okay to feel sadness over the loss of something you cared about. It can be a form of grief. When you lose a loved one or experience a breakup, some sorrow could be focused on the goals you had in the future. In the case of a relationship that did not occur, you may feel the same way. If you take the time to sit with your feelings without judgment, you may find that they're easier to work through.
Let Go Of The "What-Ifs"
When you feel romantic interest in someone you can't be with, you may fantasize about what it would be like to date them. You might find yourself thinking about what would have to be different for you to be together or coming up with mental scenarios in which things work out between the two of you.
Imaginary experiences can seem real to the emotional parts of the brain. That's why these fantasies may feel genuinely comforting, even if they're accompanied by loneliness. As a result, some people find it hard to stop imagining these scenarios. They might have dreams about the person and think about them often.
However, it may be easier to move on if you try to avoid mental scenarios. The fantasizing may have a similar impact to checking their profile throughout the day. If you notice thoughts about how happy you could be with the other person, try redirecting them. You could try imagining a different source of happiness or participate in an activity that distracts you.
Write Down What You're Going Through
Many individuals find that journaling helps them deal with psychological distress. Writing down your feelings might make it easier to get over the person on your mind. It could help you objectively examine your thoughts and emotions so you can see them logically. You might read past entries to remind yourself how far you've come.
One way to start journaling is to take five minutes to write down every thought that pops into your head when you think of the other person. Try this without stopping your thoughts or judging your feelings. You may be surprised at what emerges. You might also find that in the process, you identify some positive reasons the relationship you once had hoped for didn't work out.
You could also try to draw up a list of every trait you dislike about the person you're smitten with. Then create another list of the traits you'd most desire in a partner. This listing exercise may help you break any illusion that the other person is "perfect for you" and lead you to imagine a future relationship with someone else.
Practice Self-Care
Encouraging yourself not to interact with or fantasize about someone you're attached to could be challenging, even if you're convinced it's the right choice. You may find it easier if you make time for other pleasurable activities. Self-care can take many forms, such as:
- Watching a favorite movie
- Going for a hike
- Getting a massage
- Practicing yoga
- Cooking or ordering a delicious meal
- Exercising
- Listening to an album you love
- Prepping healthy meals for the week
- Cleaning your space at home
- Learning a new skill
- Having a decadent dessert
Self-care doesn't necessarily mean giving yourself treats (though that practice can often be helpful in moderation). It can also involve activities that improve your physical well-being or make your life easier to manage. By redirecting your focus to what you can do to make yourself happy, you may find it easier to stop thinking about the other person.
Try Self Affirmations
You may find that a lack of romantic reciprocation makes you feel poorly about yourself. Building your confidence and self-esteem back up may be a valuable part of the process if you're trying to move on from someone who rejected you.
You could try practicing self-affirmation as a first step. Affirmations are based on a psychological technique to strengthen your sense of self-worth by grounding it in your core personal values.
The process can begin by writing down several of the values you have in your life. Next, imagine yourself within a future scenario that aligns with those values. For instance, if you place high importance on helping others, you could picture yourself volunteering at a charity you care about.
You might also find that speaking or writing affirming statements about yourself can help. These statements may be most effective if aligned with your values and morals. These techniques may feel silly, but they are often effective at building a mental habit of positive thinking about yourself and a practice of ongoing self-love.
Pursue Other Goals
Self-affirmation might work best if it's followed by action. If you have listed your values, you may feel ready to identify goals aligned with those values. Focusing on these goals could help you put your mental energy toward an activity that benefits you.
You could start focusing on your career, perhaps pursuing a promotion or job change, or you could focus on making new friends. You might start learning a musical instrument or training for a marathon. You could also consider embarking on a cross-country road trip you've always wanted to take or starting up a podcast you and your friend have been talking about. Focusing on spending time with family and friends may also help if strengthening relationships is essential to you. Remember, laughter is known as the best medicine, so try to spend time with people who consistently bring a smile to your face.
Connect with other sources of meaning, value, and satisfaction besides romance. It may be easier to forget the person you've been crushing on if you stay busy pursuing these other types of fulfillment. And, as a bonus, pursuing new goals may open up opportunities for you to meet new people who are aligned with your goals, expanding your options for whenever you feel ready to start dating again.
Explore Counseling Options
When working through your feelings about a relationship that failed to materialize, it may be practical to talk with a neutral party like a therapist. Counselors trained in love and relationship issues may be able to provide you with professional help and strategies for processing your grief in a healthy way.
Many people in this situation appreciate the speed and convenience of online therapy. Connecting with a counselor online is often quicker, so you can find someone to talk with when you need it most. Online therapy can also be as effective as in-person sessions, according to a meta-analysis of previous research. The authors looked at studies with nearly 10,000 participants and concluded that there was "no difference in effectiveness" between online and in-person mental health interventions. If you'd like to explore internet-based therapy to help you process your feelings, consider a platform like BetterHelp.
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