How to Get Over a Vacation Fling with a Happy Heart and No Regrets

Getting over a hot dalliance is never easy. What else can you do? If you’re feeling stuck, try these ways for how to get over a vacation fling.

Wondering how to get over a vacation fling? Ah, yes, classic. Flings are usually intense, passionate, and mind blowing. If you’ve had one, then you know exactly what I mean.

You feel as though you’ve lost your mind completely. You spend all day and night with them *mostly* having sex and staring into each other’s eyes. It’s hard not to think about spending the rest of your life with them.

But the thing about flings, they usually come to an end. If it was a vacation fling, well, it’s time for you to go home.

[Read: Quick pick-me-ups for the recently heartbroken]

How to get over a vacation fling

Parting with a lover can be hard to accept. The passion and chemistry are there, but there’s too much physical distance. Unless you both are determined to enter a long-distance relationship, the only thing to do is cut the relationship.

It’s not an easy pill to swallow. I get it. But what are your options? If you decided to get over your fling, good choice. Now, you just need to move on, which is easier said than done. If you’re wondering how to get over a vacation fling, well, keep reading and find out.

The complete guide to get over it and move on

It’s not easy to learn how to get over a vacation fling, but who said love was easy?

#1 Know the difference between a fling and the real deal. It’s hard to tell the difference right away. At first, you’re pretty sure it’s love, but real love. However, a fling is a really intense honeymoon phase. How do you know if it’s the real deal? That’s a tricky question. When you pull back a bit, how do you really feel? [Read: Should you let your holiday fling become the real thing?]

#2 Accept it was a fling. It was a fling. Say it with me: it was a fling. And this is something you’ll need to accept. Yes, it was intense, but that doesn’t mean it needs to last a lifetime. Some love stories are short and intense, while others are long and sweet. Neither is better than the other. It is what it is. [Read: How to tell the difference between love and lust]

#3 Understand it happened in an unrealistic scenario. Flings are fun because usually, they’re unrealistic. It was a hot, sexy summer. You both were free of responsibilities, and life was full of rainbows and unicorns. But you know that’s not real life. They haven’t seen you stressed about school and broke. That’s when reality kicks in. [Read: How to break up with someone you love and not hurt them]

#4 Don’t keep in contact. No, don’t do it. You should not be keeping in contact with your fling. It’s a bad idea; trust me. This will not help you get over them. If anything, it’ll make you even crazier about them, and well, that’s not going to help your situation one bit. Don’t text them, don’t like their photos, or comment on their Facebook status. Don’t do anything.

#5 If you follow them on social media, remove them. Of course, you’re probably not going to follow this tip. I mean, when people told me in the past to do this, I didn’t listen either. But as I got older, I realized the importance of removing old flames from social media.

You don’t need a reminder of them; you need to move on. And having their face pop up every day is only going to stop you from moving forward.

#6 Don’t dwell on why it didn’t work out. Listen, there are tons of reasons why it didn’t work out, but it doesn’t matter. The point is right now you aren’t meant to be. Maybe it’s the distance, and there’s no point going into a long-distance relationship unless there’s an end-goal. Stop thinking about why it didn’t work out because there’s a reason. [Read: The pity playlist: 10 songs to help heal your broken heart]

#7 Have a good cry. Sometimes, you just need to cry it out. We all have moments like this, and bottling your emotions up isn’t going to help you in the long-run. So, let it all out. When you have some private time, go to your room, or have a bath and just release all your emotions. Not only will you feel better, but crying helps to balance hormones, which will give you some mental clarity. [Read: 15 sad, romantic movies that are perfect for a good cry]

#8 Keep yourself busy. Don’t sit at home all day, holding a photo of your fling. Come on, you can do better than that. The last thing you should do is sit around with them constantly in your head. You don’t need that, and odds are, they’re not doing that. So, keep yourself busy and preoccupied. Whether it’s hanging out with friends or family, going to school or work, be busy.

#9 Don’t lie to yourself. Most of us will justify a reason why we should do this or that, but this only tortures your. Don’t lie to yourself and give the impression it could have worked. If it was meant to work out, it would have. You could have done a lot of things differently, but the result may have still been the same.

#10 Give yourself time. Flings are intense, and the reason they’re hard to move on from is that they’re intense. You shared a crazy connection with this person; there’s no doubt about that. Understandably, it’s going to take time to move on from this relationship. As we all know, the more intense and passionate a relationship is, the harder it is to move on emotionally. [Read: How to get over someone when your heart doesn’t want to]

#11 Reflect on the relationship. It may have been a summer fling, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from it. There were probably many things you liked about the person, and those are qualities you’ll want to look for in future partners. Just because it’s a fling doesn’t mean you can’t take something from it. Spend some time reflecting and seeing how you can use it for your future.

[Read: The 10 easiest ways to help you find a holiday fling]

No one said it was easy, but you have to do what you have to do. Try these ways for how to get over a vacation fling. Sooner or later, you’ll move on.