Date Transfer: 5 Ways to Technologically Expunge Your Ex

Thanks to today's technology, it's easier than ever to reach out and touch someone. Send an email. Call a cell phone. Send a text. Post a message on their Facebook wall. Anything short of telepathy is possible.

Having so many communication methods can be a problem when it comes to a breakup. It can be too easy to stalk an ex through Facebook, leave angry text messages or accidentally drunk dial your ex's number. Post breakup, it's important to cut all technical ties with your ex to avoid accidental communication and help create space moving forward.

Here are some links that must be severed as a first step to getting over your breakup:

Phone - This is an easy one. Keeping your ex's phone number within close reach can lead to disaster. Drunk dialing is an all-too common side effect of one too many beers or bottles of wine post breakup. The messages you leave, or conversations you have, can be very embarrassing come morning. Alcohol aside, who hasn't accidentally dialed the wrong number in their contact list when in a rush? By accidentally ringing your ex, you may open up a door that you only just got used to having closed. If there are no pressing reasons for you to keep in touch with your ex, remove his or her number from your phone and address book. If obligations such as work or children make it necessary to stay in contact, make his or her number less accessible. Keep it written in a traditional address book but off the speed dial.

Email - Treat your ex's email address as you would his or her phone number. Again, you don't want to accidentally include them on an email by clicking on the wrong address. And having the address handy can make it very tempting to email your ex repeatedly about the breakup. Keep the address out of your online address book. This includes personal and work email addresses.

Facebook/Myspace - Social networking is the latest and greatest in communication tools, but it can be hazardous to maintain this link post breakup. In a vindictive moment you might be tempted to make some less than flattering posts on your ex's public board, which will do nothing but make you look bad. And even if you only limit yourself to stalking your ex via Facebook, it isn't healthy to obsess over his or her wall posts, status updates and photos. Unfriending your ex is the best way to give yourself space.

Twitter - Twitter is still fairly new by communication standards, but consider it in the same vein as Facebook and MySpace. Following your ex's tweets won't help you move on from the relationship, as you'll be more focused on what he or she is doing than on yourself. Remove yourself from your ex's list of followers so you aren't temped to peek.

Change Your Info - All of these tips work for someone on the business end of a breakup. But if you are the one doing the dumping and you fear the process may get nasty, you might want to consider a preemptive strike, such as changing some or all of your contact information, including your phone number and email address. This is a bit of an extreme measure, so be sure it's necessary before you do it.

Have other suggestions to help make the transition technologically easier? Let us know!

Still tempted to reach out and say something to your ex? With the MyEx Mailbox from BounceBack, it's easy to say everything you want to say to your ex, but without the consequences. Send a confidential, anonymous email to the MyEx Mailbox and get it off your chest.

BounceBack is changing the way people cope with heartbreak as a result of a breakup or divorce. BounceBack is a place to tell your story, get advice from experts, and share what you've learned with others in similar situations. We're here to remove the negative stigma around being heartbroken - this happens to everyone. And we believe everyone has the potential to bounce back to life and move forward. www.bouncebacktolife.com

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