With “cuffing season” coming to a close and “hot girl/boy summer” right around the corner, you could be noticing an influx of breakups happening right about now. If you’ve just been dumped here are some tips and tricks for getting over it. 

Buy new bedsheets 

Your bedroom should be your sanctuary, a place where you feel safe and content. If you’re laying in bed reminiscing about your ex curled up next to you in your sheets, get new ones. Having sheets that your ex-partner has never touched can be healing. Purge their energy from your bed and get your feng shui back. Treating yourself to something like a new bed set can be a great form of self-care and will definitely help you feel like you’re getting a fresh start. 

Don’t hide from your feelings

Breaking up sucks and you don’t have to pretend like it doesn’t. 

“Don’t ignore your feelings,” said Robyn Bates, a counselor at NIU. “All feelings are valid and deserve recognition. It’s best to feel the feelings and not bottle them up or you’re at risk of needing to deal with them later.” 

If you feel like crying, cry. If you feel like screaming, scream. Lucky for you, DeKalb has many open fields to choose from if you need a place to let your feelings out.

Think about some “icks” 

“Icks” have become a somewhat new phenomenon in the world of dating. It’s similar to the tactic of imagining an audience in their underwear to fight stage fright. An “ick” is an action that is relatively normal, yet cringey at the same time. 

If you can’t get the image of your ex out of your mind and it’s driving you crazy, try imagining them falling in the shower and slipping around trying to get up. Or maybe them trying to chase a ping pong ball through a crowded party during a beer pong game. Pretty normal things, but for some reason are embarrassing right? TikTok has some hilarious examples that will have you laughing and cringing at the same time. 

“My favorite ick is thinking about them only talking in a baby voice, it snaps me back into reality every time,” said Diego Garcia, a junior accounting major. 

Go on a trip 

Learning to be okay with hanging out with yourself again is important. Being content with your own company is empowering and will remind you that you can live your life without them. 

“Leave the country, that’s what I did,” said Hannah West, a senior political science major at NIU. 

West went through a breakup a week before she left to study abroad in the U.K. and encourages people to get out of town after a breakup. 

“It makes you realize the world is so much bigger than just your relationship,” West said. 

While leaving the entire country isn’t very attainable for the majority of people, just going on a drive and jamming to your favorite tunes might help you get your mind off things. If you’re not quite comfortable going somewhere alone, invite your friends. 

“Go out with your friends,” Bates said. “I bet they missed spending time with you while you were dating your ex. They’ll be excited to spend time with you and celebrate your re-found freedom.” 

Breaking up is hard, but remember you deserve better and there are plenty more fish in the sea. Every relationship should be a learning experience to help you find the right one. Stay strong and maybe refrain from dying your hair or getting a tattoo.