Lets face it — breakups blow. “Getting out of the funk and back into the world can be a challenge when your still hurting from a breakup,” says journalism senior Stacey Watson. “It’s important to remember everybody goes through this, and it’s not the end of the world,” says Watson.

In Sex and the City, leading lady Carrie Bradshaw says it takes half the total duration of the relationship to get over the person who did the dumping. By this theory, a person who was dumped after being in a relationship four years is set to suffer a depressing two years to get over their ex lover.

Forget it, Carrie. Whether the relationship lasted a breezy three weeks or was a three-year roller coaster, these cardinal rules will squelch the pain in no time.

Step 1: Immediately put away the memories, for now. That lover’s portrait from the romantic Sedona trip needs to come off the wall, no matter how it affects the room’s artistic flare. Put the old movie tickets, lame teddy bears, CDs titled “our songs” and any other mementos of blissful, romantic times away.

Don’t chuck ‘em into a blazing bonfire of wrath — a simple box tucked away to the back of the closet will do. Leaving the memory-infested items in clear sight will do nothing but arouse painful feelings every time they’re noticed and hinder the healing process. Once the dumpee moves on, there’s always the option of retrieving the box — if its not forgotten about entirely.

Step 2: Cut off contact with the ex. No contact is perhaps the most essential component of the healing process and is the best way to keep a breakup clean. Long, weepy messages left on the ex’s voicemail do nothing to save the relationship once the verdict has been passed. The beauty of NC is this: while not talking to the ex, the dumpee has the chance to heal and the ex has the chance to feel the ramifications of their decision.

Even better, while the dumpee isn’t expending the energy chasing and begging for the ex’s return, there’s ample energy for moving on. Lastly, some relationships reconnect after a good bout of no communication — remember, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Step 3: Get busy with it. Wanted to get some definition in those abs? The gym beckons now. Always passed that puppy in the window? It’s a great time to invest in caring for something beyond the ex. Havasu postcard causing daydreaming? Go there on break, and recruit a friend to take along.

Getting active in life and not dwelling on the ex helps refocus the mind to more important things. After diving head first into fun, stimulating activities the dumped partner will feel more satisfied and self-secure — this often leads to the “what did I see in him/her?” mantra.

Reach the reporter at michelle.masek@asu.edu.