6 Tips To Stop Liking Someone You Cannot Have

Learning how to stop liking someone isn’t fun, easy, or even common. So, it doesn’t come naturally. We’ve all had a crush on someone in a relationship or simply someone that didn’t like us back. This rejection is a part of life.

Whether fifteen or fifty when you fell in love with them, you know the pain of being denied their love. Learning how to stop liking someone you can’t have isn’t easy, but you can do it.

It is painful to endure the feelings of unreciprocated love. You ache for them, but they don’t love you back. They may not even know you exist. Perhaps they love someone else. No amount of wishing or hoping makes it better.

# Accept that they’re unavailable

If you like somebody that is already in a relationship, you need to LEAVE THEM ALONE. You will never learn how to stop liking someone if you don’t. I cannot stress this enough. It’s probably the easiest and the hardest way to deal with it.

Even though it may hurt that they’re with someone else, if they’re happily in a relationship, then it will be a lot easier for you to steer clear. You do NOT want to be known as the person who broke up a happy couple or drooled after someone who is taken.

If you really love the person, you should want them to be happy. If they’re happy with their life and relationship, then you should want what’s best for them.

# Analyze your compatibility

Okay, so you like this person, right? But you might not be the best fit for each other. The best way to learn how to stop liking someone is to think long and hard about who they are as a person, their life goals, and if you see yourself actually meshing them.

There’s more to being with someone you love than having intense feelings for them. You’ve likely fallen in love with a fantasy of what you believe being with them would be like. In reality, the two of you probably wouldn’t make the best pair. Realizing that helps you deal with the fact that you can’t be together.

# Date other people

I know, I know—the best way to stop liking someone isn’t to start liking someone else. But, nothing keeps your mind off someone you care deeply about more than seeing other people! You don’t need to redirect these intense feelings, just meet new people and see what’s out there. You’ll be surprised by what interacting with a stranger does for your confidence.

Plus, you never know who you’ll find if you put yourself out there. Biding your time in hopes that this person wants to be with you is a great way to miss out on a better opportunity. But, as the saying goes, there are plenty of fish in the sea—so get fishing!

# Stay busy!

Want to stop liking someone? Forget about that special someone you’re mega-crushing on by staying busy. Go skydiving! Run a marathon! Do something that takes your mind off of them and the fact that you can’t have them.

Just make this business productive. Doing something wild or dangerous will only make things worse. Try volunteering, redesigning a room in your house, or just deep cleaning your rug that surely needs it. While you’re out living your own life, you may even bump into someone better than the person you currently like.

# Avoid them

This is going to be the hardest thing to do if you’re in love with someone but stay away. Just do it! Don’t “accidentally” bump into them at the grocery store because it will give you the chance to chat with them. These little moments only deepen your feelings.

Seeing them often will only prevent you from moving on. Whether you work together or run in the same crowd, avoid them. This isn’t petty, it is for your own good.

Learning how to stop liking someone will be that much harder if you keep seeing them. The saying, “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” isn’t necessarily true when it comes to someone that you’re not already with. Distance will do you some good. Trust me.

# Do you really like them?

I mean, honestly? Think hard about this. I know you think you do, but work with me here. You may like how they look or act or the idea of them, but do you even know them enough to know if you like them?

You don’t know all their little quirks and habits. Some things about them may actually drive you nuts. One of the best ways to learn how to stop liking someone is to ask why you think you like them in the first place. Make a list. If most of the things on it are purely in your mind and not set in reality, you may realize these feelings aren’t what you thought they were.