Have you ever seen a houseplant start to die? What did you want to do after the plant started wilting and looked like it was useless and impossible to salvage? Hopefully you didn’t throw it away and instead nurtured the plant and brought it back to life. The same holds true for you after a break up and like a plant can be brought back to life; you can get your ex back.

The reason a plant starts to wilt is because it’s not getting enough nourishment to its leaves; as an act for survival, the plant will stop sending nutrition to certain parts of itself in order to stay alive for as long as possible.

Like a plant, a human that doesn’t get the right "nourishment" starts to wilt and decay. The nourishment referred to here is the love a significant other bestows upon you. If you were left, it’s likely that you’re going to follow instinct and close yourself in. When this happens, you stop caring about your outward appearance and become unhealthy: both mentally and physically.

After a break up you need to not be like the plant that starts to wilt but find nourishment in other areas of your life. Unlike the plant, you have this option and the means to get what you need. You need to keep your vibrant colors shining even when you don’t want to; start that exercising you promised yourself you’d do. You can get into better shape and if your ex happens to see you, he/she is definitely going to notice this change.

On a mental level, you can’t allow your pain to swell and taint your garden. Bad emotions are like weeds that spread fast and can easily choke out what was once good about you. Don’t beat yourself up and talk about what you "should" have done, instead, just do it. By taking the time to do something, you’re going to start feeling better. If you just sit and think about what could have been, what you should have done, you’re just going to keep digging yourself a hole that you will have a very hard time getting out of.

You also need to have a social life again. This is good for two reasons: one, you’re going to be distracted; two, your ex might see you and realize you’re strong and capable of dealing with tough times. Not to mention, your friends are a great support group, the farmers of your garden, if you will. They’ll look out for you and help you keep the ugly weeds from developing and destroying you.

Just realize that breakups happen and keeping yourself together is the key to get your ex back.