Ending a relationship is one of the toughest things we have to face in life. It is easy to want to wallow in grief but that is definitely not the step you want to take in order to "get over it". Dwelling on the issue, rehashing the event or beating yourself up over the breakup will only make matters worse.

Here's my basic survival guide for getting over a relationship. I am by no means an expert on this subject. I recently ended a long term relationship and these are some of the methods I've used to help myself move on:

1. Talk to your friends. Your friends will be glad to help...use them as sounding boards, pour out your heart, and cry on their shoulders. You will feel so much better getting things off your chest, and the support that you'll receive from your friends will give you a boost of self-confidence like nothing else.

2. Write. Start a journal, write a relationship pro and con list. Write letters to your ex covering all the things that may not have been said but still need to be said. DO NOT SEND THE LETTERS! Write them and then destroy them.

3. Make plans for "girl's night" or "boy's night". Go out with your friends - go to a movie, go to dinner, go shopping or plan a game night.

4. Exercise. The endorphins created when exercising give you a quick "pick me up". Walk the dogs, play Frisbee in the park with friends, go ice skating, or put your favorite music on and dance. If you live in a cold weather climate there is nothing better than taking a brisk walk in the cold air to clear your head!

5. Take care of YOU. Have a massage, treat yourself to something decadent. I spent a weekend at a spa with girlfriends, took a short vacation, and bought lavender candles that I put in every room of my house for calming my senses.

6. Rearrange your apartment or house. The first thing I did was move my furniture - I didn't want things to be in the same order as they were during the relationship. Rearranging gives you a new perspective and creates a fresh environment. Even better - change the paint colors on your walls!

7. Gather all the reminders - photos, clippings, notes, cards, gifts - and discard them. I did this the day after the relationship ended. You don't want all those mementos around that will remind you of the relationship. If an object makes you think of your ex - toss it! If you can't stand to part with these items, put them in a box in a closet. Try not to open the box until you are sure the feelings you previously had are resolved, then you can decide to keep these things or throw them away.

8. Avoid contact with your ex. Delete phone numbers and email addresses, and delete them as contacts on social networking sites. The "out of sight, out of mind" concept really worked for me.

9. Read.There are some great self-help books out there, here are just a few I've read: Ten Days to Self Esteem, David D. Burns, MD; Be Your Own Shrink, Dr. Kevin Leman; The Woman's Book of Resilience-12 Qualities to Cultivate, Beth Miller, PH.D.; Facing Love Addiction, Pia Mellody.

Good luck...just know that it does get better day by day!