The DUMPED! Break-up Survival Guide.
(By Lisa Daily)

Maybe you knew it was coming. Maybe you didn't. You've been dumped.

So, other than moping around in your pajamas, spending quality time with Ben & Jerry, what can you do? Well, clear away that mountain of soggy tissues, and I'll tell you how to get through the worst of it, the first 30 days.

Three things:
Take care of yourself. Give yourself time to mourn.
Move forward.

The first 48 hours.
The first 48 hours are the toughest. Give yourself at least one full weekend to cry your eyes out, eat junk food and lie around on your couch in a broken-heart coma watching sappy movies or a kung-fu marathon. Try to throw a few comedies into the mix if you can, laughter is good for you. If you want to be alone now, be alone. If you want to be with friends, by all means, invite them to console you. Whatever you do, don't call your ex. Don't e-mail your ex. Don't see your ex. Turn your answering machine on and screen your calls. I'm not saying you should never talk to your ex again, but give yourself at least a month or so to build up your ego again. If you think you might be tempted, by all means, invite a friend over to run defense and keep you away from the phone. Next, force yourself to think of the relationship as over. I know that's tough right now, but it truly is necessary. Grieve for what it was, and consider it dead and gone.

The first week.
After your first 48 hours, it is important to get off the couch and take a shower. Not just for hygiene reasons, (but trust me, by this time you'll really need it) but because it's now time to start taking action. Take down all photos that include your ex. If you need to have a ceremonial snapshot torching, by all means, go ahead. Put all reminders of your ex (letters, gifts, photos, etc.) in a box and stuff it way in the back of your closet, or better yet, your garage - someplace you won't see it on a regular basis. If you feel yourself starting to idealize your ex, and feel the desire to call him or her, sit down immediately and make a list of all the things about your ex that really annoyed you - the more humorous, the better. Think hard, I know there's something.

• The way he gave the exact same 22-minute response to every single person who asked how his job was going for three solid years.
• The psycho-squirrel noises she made when she laughed.
• The cheap, ugly, green, plastic phone he gave you for Christmas.
• The way she tried to hold in her sneezes, producing that imploding, snorty noise instead.

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Lisa Daily is the author of Stop Getting Dumped! 15 Time-Proven Methods To Meet And Keep The Man Of Your Dreams.
About.com's Dating Guide raves "intelligent" and "very humorous."
To order, visit www.stopgettingdumped.com
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