“Breaking up is hard to do”, so the old song goes… but in 2015 it’s even harder! In a technological society, the act of breaking up is merely the first step towards completely parting ways. Social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. – creates a digital footprint of your relationship that also needs to be washed away before you can start anew.

As the protocol for parting ways in a social media landscape is ever-evolving, there are a few concerns that should be addressed before you can fully move on.

Don’t Haunt Your Ex’s Social Media Presence

It may appear obvious, but an important component of healing after a break-up is to avoid your ex at all costs. This may not be so easy in the physical world as you may share friends; professional duties or any other circumstances that may make you come into contact with each other.

However, you have a choice in the online world. Steer clear of your ex’s social media feeds, as reminding yourself of your ex will ultimately delay how fast your wounds heal.

Remove Painful Posts Or Comments

In concert with severing ties with your ex on social media, you may want to delete posts or comments that make you recall specific memories. Any posts or comments that you once held onto will prove to be poisonous keepsakes of a perhaps less desirable time in your life. These keepsakes will damage the healing process and should be removed from your feeds, as your priority should be moving on.

Don’t Post Messages About Your Ex

Whatever the cause, whoever was to blame, whatever the circumstances are, no good comes from smearing your ex via an online forum. This merely invites trouble from a community of people that may be on your ex’s side. Having a private conversation with a confidant about your ex is a healthy step in the grieving process, so long as it is not via a social media platform.

Cut The Social Media Cord

In accordance with all of this, the best thing to do is to ‘de-friend’ your ex and all of the social media connections that you may have with him/her. You need to take the time and focus on yourself, and having an additional avenue for them to reach you is an unsound step backwards in the healing process.

Take A Social Media Vacation

While social media can bring positive experiences, it can also lengthen one’s healing period following a break-up. The best course of action? Give yourself a much-deserved vacation from social media. The less information and technological stimulus will clear your mind and allow you to explicitly come to terms with your break-up and move forward.