Are you wondering how to stop thinking about someone after a break up?

What can you do when the other person decides that it’s time to move on, even if you would like to continue with the relationship?

In addition, this is a difficult situation because we are still involved in the relationship while the other person made the decision that it is over.

This can lead to obsessive thinking about the other person and possible reasons of why the relationship did not work out.

Why Can’t You Stop Thinking About Someone?

When we can’t stop thinking about someone, it’s because we imagine that being with that person will make us happy.

In addition, our mind and imagination create our perfect partner just based on a few facts.

Moreover, we focus our attention on every positive aspect of that person and how important these qualities are for us.

The more we focus on the other person, the harder it is to stop thinking about him.

The question is how to get our attention away from that person?

10 Tips on How to Stop Thinking About Someone After a Breakup

It is important that you work on resolving unwanted and obsessive thoughts before they adversely affect your overall well-being.

1 – Practice Mindfulness

One of the most effective strategies to stop thinking about someone is mindfulness. 

Mindfulness helps you to focus on the present moment by involving your senses and thoughts on the task at hand. This gives your mind a momentary relief and opportunity to reframe your thoughts.

Additionally, mindfulness meditation can help you understand the connection between your recurrent thoughts and feelings about someone. 

Overtime, mindfulness meditation can help you gain control over seemingly habitual thoughts, thus helping you avoid repeated unwanted thoughts or rumination.

Mindfulness meditation can help you focus on what is happening in the here and now rather than on the unwanted thoughts. 

Here are more tips on How to Be Happy Practicing Mindfulness.

2 – Distract Yourself

Avoid inactivity and isolation as they can fuel your emotions and obsessive thoughts about someone. 

Additionally, putting your daily responsibilities on hold, or giving up on family and friends can intensify your racing thoughts.

With that in mind, it is important that you avoid spending time alone and staying unoccupied. 

For example, engage in different mental and physical activities, which can include exercising, listening to music, or volunteering. 

In other words, the secret of how to stop thinking about someone is to find something else to think about.

3 – Journal About Your Feelings

Expressing your thoughts and emotions through writing can help you release obsessive thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Journaling allows your mind to focus less on disturbing thoughts because you’re able to process them differently when you write them down. 

Additionally, journaling allows you to express your anger, disappointment, and sadness in a non-judgmental space.

With that in mind, it is advisable that you express your persistent and obsessive thoughts by putting them on paper. 

That way, you will get your repetitive thoughts out of your head and onto a piece of paper. This will produce relief as it creates space in your mind for new thoughts.

If you are not sure How to Start a Journal: Here are 8 Easy Tips for Beginners.

4 – Follow the No Contact Rule

Another great tactic for how to stop thinking about someone is the no contact rule. 

Make sure you don’t contact the other person and avoid responding to texts, phone calls, or social media posts.

No contact rule is highly beneficial, particularly when you are trying to heal from a failed relationship.

That said, the no contact rule allows you to pay attention to your thoughts and feelings instead of constantly being reminded of the other person.

This helps the healing process.

Additionally, no contact enables you to change your perspective about someone, and to start seeing things more clearly.

Another good thing about no contact is that it allows you to seek new sources of validation. 

Finding ways around the other person will increase your confidence and opportunities to meet other people.

5 – Engage in Physical Activity

Staying physically active helps your body produce endorphines, which are feel good hormones.

Moreover, this will help you to feel more positive and confident about yourself, your present and future.

Try some of these options:

Go for a walk

Try a new exercise program

Clean an area of your home

Do some gardening

Dance along your favorite music

Try a new YouTube exercise video

6 – Create New Connections

It will take some time until you feel better after a break up.

Moreover, keep in mind that if you want to stop thinking about someone, you will have to replace all the thoughts in your brain related to that person with new information.

Help your brain to create new connections that don’t involve the person you are trying to stop thinking about.

You could try new hobbies, friends, and activities.

The more engaged you are in activities that do not involve the other person, the faster you will be able to create new connections in your brain that will not remind you of the other person.

You may also be interested on How to Feel Better After a Breakup: 10 Easy Tips

7 – Take Good Care of Yourself

Many times, after a breakup we can’t stop thinking about the other person and we forget to take care of ourselves.

Therefore, make sure you eat healthy food, move your body, sleep enough, and connect with people who do not remind you of the person you are trying to forget.

These 7 tips on how to stop thinking about someone are a good starting point.

However, you need to be patient and take into account that it takes time to heal from a relationship that did not work out.

Which tip do you think is the most useful? Let me know in the comments below.