Seeing the person who once felt like home at the copier, in the lecture hall, or on the morning commute can rattle even the steadiest nerves. The usual prescriptions-go no-contact, avoid their socials, take time off-don’t fit when routine places you in the same room. If you need to get over someone while sharing corridors, meetings, or lab benches, you’ll need a plan that keeps your professionalism intact while giving your heart the space to recalibrate.
Why this situation hits differently
Breakups thrive on distance. But shared schedules mean you must hold your head up while emotions are loud, and that’s a tough balancing act. Your brain keeps collecting fresh data-how they laugh with a colleague, which table they choose at lunch-and every new detail rekindles old stories. To get over someone amid constant reminders, you have to reduce the power of those small exposures and direct your attention toward choices you actually control.
How long might it take?
There’s no calendar that guarantees when your feelings will settle. Crushes fade faster than deep attachments, and healing rarely moves in a straight line. Some weeks you’ll feel light; others the sight of them will sting. If you measure your progress solely by how you feel in their presence, you’ll misread the journey. A better gauge is how quickly you redirect your focus after a flare-up. That skill-practiced often-helps you get over someone even when you can’t change the seating chart.
Practical strategies you can apply right now
Allow every feeling-just choose the setting. Grief, anger, jealousy, relief-let them come, preferably outside shared spaces. Vent in a journal, on a long walk, or with a trusted friend after hours. You cannot get over someone by pretending you’re fine while your body broadcasts the opposite; you can, however, decide when and where the wave breaks.
Rehearse awkward moments in advance. Picture the elevator ride, the meeting where you must present, the moment you hear their voice behind you. Plan a neutral phrase and a steady exit. One of the quickest ways to get over someone is to script your reactions for predictable triggers, so muscle memory carries you when emotions spike.
Keep every interaction professional. Save the spicy text drafts in your notes app-un sent. At work or school, your behavior is your brand. You help yourself get over someone when you choose short, task-focused exchanges and let your competence do the talking.
Create gentle distance. If possible, switch desks, pick a different seat, or take a new route to the break room. Micro-adjustments lower the number of surprise encounters. That extra buffer makes it easier to get over someone without constantly white-knuckling your self-control.
Don’t draft the crowd into your breakup. Ask friends for discretion, not allegiance. Colleagues and classmates shouldn’t have to choose sides. When you keep gossip out of shared spaces, you reduce drama and reclaim your energy for things that matter.
Be polite-just not personal. “Good morning,” “Thanks,” “I’ll send it by five.” Keep it brief and kind, nothing more. This tone neither invites closeness nor fuels conflict, which helps you get over someone while maintaining basic civility.
Minimize contact channels. Move conversations to one official medium-email, the project board, or a classroom forum. Fewer back-and-forths mean fewer chances to rehash the past. This is how you steadily get over someone without changing jobs or majors.
Tweak your schedule if you can. Early shift instead of late, Wednesday lab instead of Monday, a different study block-small changes can dramatically reduce overlap. Do it because it serves your routine, not as a grand statement.
Build a daily after-work ritual. Give your evenings a clear anchor: a fitness class, a ceramics studio, pickup basketball, long swims, or a coding side project. A predictable ritual helps you get over someone by replacing rumination with rhythm.
Starve the rumor mill. Even if you were wounded, don’t narrate the saga at the watercooler. It backfires fast. Choose one or two confidants outside your shared environment and leave it there. That boundary helps you get over someone without turning the office or campus into a stage.
Use a change of scene wisely. A short trip or a weekend with a friend can reset your senses. The goal isn’t to escape forever; it’s to widen your world so your ex isn’t the center of every room. A small reset can nudge you to get over someone with less friction.
Consider talking to a therapist. You don’t need a catastrophe to deserve support. A few sessions can help you map triggers, design boundaries, and stick to them. Outside guidance often accelerates your capacity to get over someone in a complicated setting.
Set crisp boundaries. Decide in advance which topics are off-limits-no relationship post-mortems, no late-night DMs, no “just checking in.” If the conversation drifts, redirect or excuse yourself. Clear edges make it easier to get over someone without mixed signals.
Prioritize steady self-care. Sleep that actually restores you, meals that fuel you, movement that burns off static-these basics keep your nervous system from running hot. When your body feels safer, your mind can start to get over someone rather than orbit them.
Choose peace over payback. Anger is valid; revenge is expensive. Instead of replaying grievances, practice small releases-exhale longer than you inhale, write the unsent letter, list three things you can influence today. That shift helps you get over someone even if apologies never arrive.
Train your attention like a muscle. Notice the moment your mind jumps to a highlight reel or a worst-case story. Label it-“remembering,” “worrying”-and bring your focus back to the task in front of you. Attention training isn’t flashy, but it steadily helps you get over someone .
Relearn how to enjoy your own company. Plan solo mini-adventures: a matinee film, a coffee-and-book hour, a scenic run, a museum lunch break. Comfort with solitude becomes a protective factor, making it easier to get over someone without rushing into the next thing.
Invest in the people who show up. Text the friend who always answers, call your sibling, plan a board-game night. Let affection from your circle take up more space in your day. That warmth helps you get over someone by reminding you that love is bigger than one storyline.
Change the context if you must. If daily contact keeps you stuck, explore a transfer, a remote day, or a different section of the course. This isn’t running away-it’s designing a healthier environment for your future self.
Let a new crush spark curiosity, not pressure. Openness to fresh connections can be a gentle redirect. You don’t need a rebound or a promise; friendly conversations and light attraction can make it easier to get over someone without making big commitments.
Allow slow progress. One morning you’ll feel okay; the next afternoon a hallway laugh will sting. Healing zigzags. Measure wins by how you respond after the pang, not whether the pang ever happens again.
Detox your feeds. If their stories still pop up, mute for a while or remove notifications. You’re not erasing history-you’re building a calmer present. Less scrolling equals fewer emotional ambushes.
Absorb the lesson for next time. Workplace and classroom romances come with unique risks. Let this chapter refine your boundaries. When you remember what it cost, you’ll think longer before mixing roles again.
When they ask to be “friends” right away
Offers of instant friendship can sound humane, but they often soothe the person who ended things more than the one who’s hurting. You’re allowed to say, “Not yet.” Choose a timeline that protects your recovery. Friendship-if it ever fits-belongs on the other side of healing. If maintaining that boundary helps you get over someone without backsliding, it’s not cold; it’s wise.
A steady closing note
Daily proximity makes recovery harder, not impossible. With thoughtful boundaries, small environmental tweaks, and consistent care for your attention and energy, you can rebuild your equilibrium even while your paths still cross. Keep shaping your days toward what you can influence-your focus, your routines, your kindness to yourself-and let time do the quiet stitching only time can do.