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"I've always dreamt about running into my ex.. but in those dreams it was with a car!" - Carrie Bradshaw
After a breakup, there’s always a chance you’ll run into your ex in public. It can be daunting to think about. If it happens, what do you say? Do you acknowledge them?
Depending on what terms you left on, I think it’s appropriate to say hi and make small talk. You don’t want to get into anything heavy, just hey, hello, what are you doing with yourself these days. Maybe ask about their family, if they have any new hobbies or interests. It’s ok to say to them that the situation is a bit awkward- in fact, that may lighten things up a bit.
You may still be feeling vulnerable from the breakup but resist bringing up things about the breakup. You don’t want to cause yourself more heartache. And don’t start a fight; you may say something you’ll regret. It might be wise to mentally prepare yourself, beforehand, in case you run into them. You could think about the things that could go right and wrong, such as, you could have a nice encounter and you may decide to make plans to have coffee or even reconcile. On the flip side, your ex could be with another girl and it might upset you, or you could feel bitter towards them touching- you should avoid this. It might be too intimate to kiss them on the cheek or hug.
I ran into one of my exes a few years ago and at first, it was awkward since we left on bad terms, but then we ended up having a nice talk. He told me what was going on in his life and I filled him in too. We didn’t make plans to get together but at least I had a good experience. It’s good to appear confident as if things are going well in your life. You don’t want them to think they have any power over you.
A lot of times our exes have hurt us pretty badly and running into them seems like a frightening thing but just remain calm, and keep the interaction brief.
Remember, you are a different person now. You’ve hopefully grown from the experience.
If you left on very bad terms, you could just wave at them and keep walking. Sometimes we don’t want to be bothered by people from the past, especially if they hurt us. I asked some friends what they would do if they ran into their ex and a lot of them said, “Walk away,” or, “RUN”! So everyone looks at it differently. I think that if you spent time in a relationship with someone, it’s the right thing to do to acknowledge them.
Hopefully, the interaction will give you the confidence that you can get through anything. Facing difficult things will make you stronger
After you run into them, do something to distract yourself, like call a friend to hang out or go take a drive. You don’t want to overthink the interaction