Been dumped? This is how long it’ll take your ex to get over you

It's probably longer than you thought

It's probably longer than you thought

So you’ve just been dumped and you’re completely and utterly miserable. And rather than reeling off the usual list of age-old clichés about eating ice-cream in bed and sobbing in the loos at work, what we’re actually going to say is this – we’re sorry. That sucks.

Instead, here's one nugget of knowledge which might might help you bounce back from your breakup. Despite what social media might be telling you, your ex will take just as long as you do to get over the separation.

That’s right – even if it looks like your ex is loving the single life, new research has shown that both of you will be miserable for a certain amount of time regardless of who instigated the split.

This is according to The Journal of Positive Psychology who carried out a survey of 1404 university students aged 18-25 years old to find our how long it takes to get over a break-up.

The good news is that, despite what you might feel now, it’s not as long as you think. In fact, a massive 71% of participants viewed their former relationship in a positive light just 11 weeks after the break up.

Even better was the fact that this time frame was the same for both people in the couple, regardless of whether you’d been dumped or had done the dumping.

So if you’ve just been dumped and you’re so heartbroken that it feels like you’ll never love again, console yourself with this fact – for at least the next eleven weeks, your ex is going to be just as miserable as you.

And just like that, you feel that teeny, tiny bit better. Time to start showing people why single is the new sexy...

The leading destination for fashion, beauty, shopping and finger-on-the-pulse views on the latest issues. Marie Claire's travel content helps you delight in discovering new destinations around the globe, offering a unique – and sometimes unchartered – travel experience. From new hotel openings to the destinations tipped to take over our travel calendars, this iconic name has it covered.