The best way to stay friends with your Ex

It happens to us all at some point: We need to decide whether or not to stay friends with our ex. Some people think it’s not possible, because someone may still be emotionally into the other person, while others think it’s perfectly fine.

What do the experts think?
A lot of people remain friends with their exes — at least, according to a study published in the journal Personal Relationships, reported Brit + Co.

The reason?To have them as a “backup plan,” the study reported.
Yep, even when people are in new relationships, some of their ex as a backup plan.
The study looked at how communicating with an ex can affect someone’s current relationship.

If you thought, “Uh-oh,” you’re right. At least, maybe.
In the first study, 260 undergrads who’d been in relationships for at least one month were surveyed. These people had also dated someone beforehand for at least three months.
The results?

About 40 percent of participants were still in touch with their exes, and they were more likely to admit they had romantic feelings for their exes. They also had lower levels of commitment toward their current partners.

In the second study, researchers examined how often someone communicated with an ex, and why.
After all, there’s a difference between running into them at social gatherings and purposely emailing them to see how they’re doing (while still thinking of them with more-than-friend feelings), amirite?!

The latter affected one’s satisfaction in their current relationship, and talking to the ex a lot did not bode well for their new relationship.