You've broken up with your significant other. Now what? Do you jump into work? Get a hobby? Go out with someone else right away? Here are some tips to help you out.

Remove reminders of your ex

The best thing singles can do immediately upon a breakup is to get rid of all those sappy, sentimental items you have laying around. That means deleting his number from your cell phone, throwing out the pictures of you two together, and tossing all the cards and letters. Keeping those items will only serve to put you in a state of prolonged nostalgia. One day down the road you might look back fondly at the times you had with your ex. But until you can gain the clarity to see your relationship objectively, don’t torture yourself with constant reminders.

Allow yourself to be angry and sad in a healthy way

Anger and sadness often come in alternating waves after a breakup. It’s okay to feel both these emotions. It’s not okay to do something destructive to yourself or others, though. Accept your anger and/or sadness by engaging in activities that let it out in a healthy way. Everyone has methods to help them work through things. Some folks write poetry, others clean out their closets, and still others work out, cook, or talk to friends. Whatever your “safe” outlet is, use it to focus the lingering feelings you have from your break up.

Take care of yourself

Eat right. Exercise. Hang out with friends. Get enough sleep. In short, don’t let the break up make you physically sick. When your body is healthy, you feel good. When you feel good, you make good decisions and have a healthy self-esteem.

Picture the day when you’ll be happy again

Life can seem like a pretty bleak place when you’ve just weathered a break up. But keep in mind, the relationship with your ex is over for a reason: you weren’t right for each other. That means the one absolutely perfect for you is still out there. Picture the right person for you and the kind of relationship you want out of life. Remember, you deserve to be happy.

Know when it’s time to date again

When you’ve given yourself enough time to work through your emotions, then you can begin to date again. The amount of time needed for this varies with the people involved and the specifics of the relationship. Gage emotions about your ex honestly, and if you’re not overcome at the very thought of them, work on meeting new people. Aim for a state of indifference. In other words, it’s okay to get a slight twinge upon seeing your ex; it’s not okay to suddenly want to throw a plate at their head.

Begin to date again, slowly but surely

When you first start dating again, do it with a pace slow enough to meet a variety of people. Go easy on the people you date at first, don’t expect them to be your ex, or the “better” version of your ex. Remember, everyone is unique. If they’re the right one, you’ll know it in time. But allow yourself the perspective to find out. In the meantime, enjoy the new person in your life for whom they are, and have fun just being with them.