My Ex Moved On Like I Was Nothing- Reasons And Coping Tips

Breakups can be tough, to say the least. Especially when your ex seems to have moved on fast enough to leave you wondering, “OMG! My ex moved on like I was nothing! It’s not even been a month…How could my ex fall in love with someone else so quickly?!” 

It is natural to feel hurt, sad, and confused when you find your ex moved on in just 2 weeks, so to say. Here you are still grappling with the breakup and your mutual friends just slip in the name of a new person in his life. Trust us when we say, you are not alone in this. Many of us have been through such devastating heartbreaks as well. 

But the best thing is that we’ve got your back. We will take you through some of the possible reasons behind your ex-partner’s lightning-fast rebound relationship.

We will also help you some of the tips that you can pick up to cope with the emotional rollercoaster. So, brace yourself as we decode your ex’s behavior to understand how they could get into a new relationship so soon. 

 How Did My Ex Move On So Quickly?

Picture this: you break up with your partner of 5 years and are still caressing your broken heart when you see them putting up an Instagram story with someone else, announcing their new relationship from the rooftops.

Not only do you feel terrible, you feel jealous thinking, “He is dating someone else and I am still single? How did he get a new partner in the blink of an eye?!” The reality is that your ex moving on can mean a number of things. 

1. He is reeling with rebounds

Your ex’s instantaneous relationship can be just another offering churned out at the rebound factory! Some people can jump straight into the action and get hold of a new girlfriend faster than you can process your emotions and realize what went wrong.

2. He’s faking it

Your ex moved on immediately because it was their defense mechanism.Perhaps the breakup was too much for them. The pain of losing you became too much for them. And they decided to find a distraction that would make them think less about you.

It is their way of masking their pain and negating the void you have left in their life. To boost their self-esteem, they start dating and faking, lest they start crying over the spilled milk.

3. Thanks to the deadly dating apps

They have fallen prey to the ‘Swipe, match, move on’ phenomenon and have turned into a dynamo, scoring through profiles on dating apps and swiping right, left, and center! It may seem that your ex has found a new boyfriend while you are still grappling with your healing process. But remember, not all connections made on apps are meant to last lifelong. 

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4. Your ex was looking for an out

Another reason for your ex moving on as if you meant nothing is that you actually meant nothing. It could be that he wasn’t happy with you and wanted to break up or he just did not feel for you anymore. Maybe he started to fall for someone else but did not know how to tell you. People fall out of love often.

The moment the relationship collapsed, he felt relieved and happy because now he is free to pursue someone he may like. This is probably not a new person in his life, but someone whom he has been eyeing for sometime now. Maybe he has wanted to leave you since ages, and is actually happy to do that now.

Nevertheless, your ex moving on has nothing to do with you as a person. Look up the next section to connect the dots.

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Why Did My Ex Move On So Quickly?

Breakups always leave a long trail of unanswered questions behind. There could be tons of ugly questions bothering you – ‘Does it hurt when your ex moves on?’, ‘How could my ex fall in love with someone else so quickly? The relationship meant nothing to him?’, ‘My ex replaced me quickly. Were we ever on the same page?’ and what not. 

Catch a breather, girl, we will unravel the mystery behind the sudden breakup and get a fresh perspective on why the relationship ended the way it did, and why your ex moved on so fast. 

1. They want to start afresh

Most people carry emotional baggage from their past experiences. The unpleasant memories stay stuck in our minds and continue to play on the loop. Your ex-boyfriend might be trying to escape the pain and trauma associated with your breakup.

They moved on from one relationship to another to give their life a fresh start. It is like decluttering the emotional closet to make room for fresher vibes. 

Liz was devastated after breaking up with David. She was stuck with the thought, ‘How could Dave get over a long-term relationship in just a few weeks? I can’t believe my ex moved on like I was nothing!’. While on David’s part, it was all about shifting his focus to deal with the future. 

2. They want to gain validation 

When your ex starts talking to and seeing someone new soon enough after your breakup, it could mean that they feel worthless and are looking for validation. The breakup has taken a toll on their self-esteem and they want to regain their confidence by feeding on someone else’s attention. They might even have active sex-life days or weeks after the breakup, just to annul their self-doubting thoughts. 

No matter how swiftly after their departure your ex engages in a no-holds-barred dating spree, remember that relationships do not thrive on such needs. Do not let their search for validation diminish your self-worth.

3. They are grappling with the fear of missing out 

FOMO, the fear of missing out, is indeed much more than what it might seem. The fear of being alone has got the better of your ex-partner. Being single is something that they dread and hence they are rushing into a new relationship as soon as they break up with their last one to fill in the emptiness.

It is as if they are on a dating bandwagon where they feel the need to fill in the empty seats with newer passengers! Honestly, they did not know how to stop wanting a relationship.

Your ex might be on a mission to stay in a relationship for every moment they live, collecting milestone badges, albeit at the cost of finding true love. 

4. They are not going through the same process of healing

Everyone has their own unique ways to cope with stress and challenges in life. The healing process of one person might be very different from the other, depending on their mental and emotional strength. It might just mean that your ex has their own pace of healing and recovering. The breakup happened, and this is his way of getting over you.

While you might need the time to adjust to being in your own company, they are more comfortable in moving on. 

Instead of wondering ‘My ex moved on like I was nothing’, know that we all are unique. And, there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to heal. It is just about finding out what works best for one. 

5. Their expectations from the relationship were different 

This could be a clear case of two ships sailing in opposite directions. Your relationship sank because of mismatched expectations. This incompatibility egged your ex to move on quickly as if to find a lifeboat. 

They were looking for something different from what was being offered in the relationship. And, when they found the same being offered somewhere else, they decided to anchor their ship and ride on to a newer boat. 

You must bear in your mind that the breakup has got nothing to do with you. It is just that you two were not meant to be together since your courses did not align. 

6. The “honeymoon phase” faded

At times, we think we are in love, but actually it’s just infatuation. When those early feelings of passion and newness die, and reality comes to the fore , you realize this is not the person you consider as a long-term partner. The signs of a relationship being short-term were always there, but then love is blind and lovers cannot see.

Perhaps, your ex too thought of this as a fling whereas you just took the honeymoon phase too seriously. This is especially true when you have been together for less than 6 months. Even if you considered this bond to last, it was possibly just a fling for your SO.

Whatever said, an ex moving on as if you were nothing can make you frustrated and hamper your self-esteem. While we cannot comment what his reason could be, we can certainly help you cope with the pain and anxiety. 

How To Cope When My Ex Moved On Like I Was Nothing?

‘My ex moved on fast and it hurts. I feel terrible thinking he is dating someone else and I am still single. Do you know what hurts the most? My ex moved on like I was nothing to him’, said a teary-eyed Josh after his boyfriend of 7 years broke up with him last month. The emotional whirlwind of the breakup left him questioning his own worth. Such can be the impact of heartache.

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Notwithstanding the pain, you can find your inner strength to help you sail through these difficult times. We are going to explore some of the ways you can use your power to heal yourself when your ex moves on like you were never a part of their life. So, take a deep breath and embark on the fulfilling journey toward healing and recovery. 

1. Embrace your emotions 

Breakups can leave you in an emotional ruckus – a tsunami of emotions wreck your mind and you find yourself helpless. It is absolutely normal to go through this. You are allowed to feel all the feels.

Permit yourself to be lost, sad, frustrated, or furious. Remember, a tsunami cannot be held, it will flow eventually. Let go of your emotions and do not hold onto them, trying to subdue or negate them. Channelize your feelings in a healthy way:

• Take a step back from everything and process your emotions
• Start journaling. Write down your thoughts and vent them out
• Talk to a close friend or family member who can patiently listen to you without judgment
• Validate and respect your emotions

2. Keep your loved ones close

Your friends are your loudest cheerleaders. You can rely on them for support. Every time you feel low and dejected, your besties will come to the rescue #squadgoals. Stay connected to such supportive friends and family members who can lift your spirits up, make you laugh, and go crazy with you. Every time you need a reminder of how amazing you are, there is no better person than a BFF! Drive away those breakup blues by hanging out with your friends:

• Go for a movie screening
• Visit an amusement park 
• Have a binge-watch session at your home
• Plan fun outings 
• Have a heart-heart conversation over a soothing cup of coffee

 3. Show yourself some (or, a lot!) of love

You are the star of your life, shine bright! Prioritize self-care, enjoy your own company, and make yourself the center of your universe. The spotlight should be on you because you totally deserve it. Make an effort for yourself. You might have invested time in the wrong place, but now the focus should be on yourself. Instead of feeling bogged down, take this opportunity to:

• Rediscover your passions and interests
• Indulge in creative pastimes, doing things that you like the most
• Set yourself new goals and dedicate yourself to achieving them
• Pick up activities that bring you joy – enroll in a hobby class, learn a new language, become a pet-parent

4. Establish healthy boundaries around yourself 

No one can navigate through the healing process without establishing clearly-defined boundaries. Let go of the memories you associate with your ex-boyfriend. We know this is easier said than done. However, you can get started with the process by: 

• Decluttering your digital space of their virtual presence
• Unfollowing or unfriending them from your social media profiles to avid getting updates on their daily life
• Redirecting your energy toward people who matter the most to you
• Asking your mutual friends to respect your boundaries

5. Trust the healing process 

By the end of the healing process, you will bloom into a better person who is emotionally and mentally stronger and healthier. The healing might take some time, but eventually, the wounds will heal and the pain will subside. Turn your moment of heartache into an opportunity to:

• Bloom into a better version of yourself
• Embrace the journey of self-growth and discovery
• Happiness will come your way, just wait for the right time!

Breakups are never a walk in the park. When your ex decides to move on, you are left saying, “My ex moved on fast and it hurts”. But remember, even though they have moved on and entered a new relationship, it need not spell doom for you.

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Your ex’s speedy rebound relationship cannot define your future. For all we know, he could quit his next relationship soon because he believes in quitting rather than making things right by adopting healthy relationship practices.

Take your time to heal, rediscover yourself, and shine brighter than you ever did. You are stronger than you think; you’ve got this! 

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