5 Reasons To Block Your Ex (And 2 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t)

Blocking your ex is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself while you’re grieving your relationship.

There are many reasons why you should block your ex, but they all come down to one thing – rediscovering happiness and inner peace.

As long as you leave a door open for them to pop back up in your life (and vice versa), you’ll continue hurting yourself.

Unfortunately, a lot of people avoid blocking their ex because they don’t want to look “bothered”.

“If I block them, then they’ll know I’m really hurt and still feeling some type of way over our breakup.”

My answer to that is: why is looking unbothered a priority for you instead of actually being unbothered?

Would you rather pretend you’re okay or actually be okay? Because if your answer is yes, then cutting cords with your ex is a logical solution. And hitting that block button is the first step.

5 reasons why you should block your ex

1. They keep reaching out to you

Whether it’s your ex or a random dude you were in a months-long situationship with, a lot of people continue contacting their ex after a breakup.

It’s important not to take this as a sign they are still in love with you and want to rekindle your relationship.

It’s a hard pill to swallow but many people contact their exes because they’re bored, or just to get attention and validation, especially if they initiated the breakup and know their ex still has feelings for them.

It’s an ego boost. It makes them feel desired. And it’s really selfish, which is why you shouldn’t read too much into it.

Blocking is especially helpful if you feel worse after your ex contacts you. Don’t give them the opportunity to undo all the progress you’ve made so far.

2. You feel the need to show your ex you have moved on

If you feel the need to show off to your ex (in real life or on social media), this is a clear sign you are far from moving on and need to cut the cord.

Blocking helps because it removes any attention you still might be getting from them on social media, forcing you to face reality and accept your breakup.

I’ve seen way too many young girls and women get hung up over their ex still watching their Instagram stories as if that means anything at all.

Instead of focusing on healing, they become invested in getting breadcrumbs of attention to soothe their bruised ego and ignore the pain of heartbreak.

Some blogs write that showing your ex you’ve moved on is a reason why you shouldn’t block them but I couldn’t disagree more. It might feel good for a moment but it will only set you back in the long term.

3. You keep stalking them on social media

At some point, you’re going to stop stalking your ex on social media.

I say this with confidence because sooner or later, we all see something we don’t like, get our feelings hurt all over again, and bring ourselves straight back into a situation we thought we had moved on from. Then, we finally learn our lesson and block.

But wouldn’t it be so much better if you could simply skip this part of the story? You can, if you block them right now.

This way, you get to live your life without developing a habit of checking in on your ex at least once a day.

By engaging in this type of behavior, you’re wasting your energy on someone who is no longer a part of your life. Whether your breakup was amicable or not, you have nothing to gain from stalking your ex’s socials.

4. Your ex still brings up strong emotions

Seeing your ex’s posts on Instagram or getting a random text once every six months can elicit intense feelings.

Whether it’s emotional pain, anger, or even fury, these strong emotions are draining. We can’t always control them, but we can control the triggers.

In this scenario, many people hesitate to hit the block button because they don’t want anyone to think they’re still hurting.

Blocking feels like admitting defeat, even though there is no battle and the only person who is suffering is you. Instead of focusing all your energy on what everyone else thinks, prioritize yourself and block your triggers.

5. They are harassing you

People who harass their ex after a breakup are often abusive in other ways, too. Cutting them off and making it difficult for them to contact you is important for your safety and sanity.

That being said, most women are most in danger immediately after leaving their abusive partner. If your ex partner is physically or emotionally abusive, be careful and reach out to friends and family for support.

2 reasons you shouldn’t block your ex

1. You’re only playing mind games

If you want to block your ex just to get their attention, then you shouldn’t do it.

Some people are used to playing mind games after a breakup, and if this is you, then chances are high you’re not actually interested in moving on from your relationship. Blocking is simply a way for you to get a reaction out of your ex.

I’m not judging because everyone heals differently and has their own lessons to learn. But post-breakup, it’s better to act in a way that supports your wellbeing in the long term rather than sabotage yourself.

2. You’ve genuinely moved on

If you’ve entered the “I really couldn’t care less” stage of your relationship grieving process, then there’s no need to waste your energy thinking about whether you should block your ex or not.

But there’s one catch: we can very easily convince ourselves that we’ve completely moved on when we actually haven’t done so. Especially when this lie allows you to stay friends with your ex.

There are multiple stages of grieving a breakup, and if you’re still going through them, be wary of believing that you’re over your former relationship.

When all is said and done, mourning a relationship is messy and recovery isn’t linear. One day you might be desperate to get closure, only to wake up the next day feeling as though your former relationship is in the distant past.

During this process, it’s helpful to think of blocking as setting an important boundary that protects your emotional wellbeing and makes it easier for you to start the next chapter of your life.