When do guys start to miss you after a breakup? We have all heard the stereotypes about men after a breakup, such as, “He is probably out drinking with his friends right now”, “There is no pain a pint of beer can’t cure”, or “He’ll just get with someone new and move on”. While some of these statements may sometimes appear to be true, the fact is that breakups hit guys later and that’s why they seem nonchalant or unfazed immediately after a breakup.
In reality, guys go through a lot after a breakup, most of which is not addressed or acknowledged by a majority of people. An interesting study points out that men view their ex-partners more favorably than women. This may have raised a host of questions in your mind. Will he come back after break up? And how long does it take a guy to realize he wants you back? We’re here to help you find the answers and understand the behavior of men after a breakup.
When Do Guys Start To Miss You After A Breakup? 11 Possible Scenarios
How long does it take for someone to miss you? In most cases, how guys react to a breakup is different from how women do, because the realization hits them a lot later. That is not to say that men are heartless and never cared about the relationship. Naturally, when men become newly single, the common conception of single men being termed as “players” makes them think they’re now free. As if they were “tied down” before.
However, that free feeling lasts only so long. When they’ve exhausted their efforts of running away from their thoughts through partying, drinking, etc, the breakup will finally hit them like a truck. That is when a man misses you. In short, 8 weeks is roughly the answer to the question, “How long does it take to miss someone?”
Related Reading: 12 Ways To Find Happiness After Breakup And Heal Completely
If you’re wondering, “Why does it take guys 8 weeks to miss you?” Know that that’s a very broad claim we’re making. Some men definitely take more time, some take less time too. Do they ever realize they made a mistake and want to come back? Let’s delve deeper into what makes a man miss a woman after a breakup:
1. When do guys start to miss you after a breakup? When it finally hits them
Growing up on Johnny Bravo, idolizing James Bond, and wanting to be like Dan Bilzerian, the newly single man will fancy himself as the player:
- He’ll start partying and take pride in all the freedom he now thinks he has, even if he did not lack any in the first place
- It’s a common strategy men use to try to think they’re looking at the bright side
- He’ll say, “She tied me down bro, she wouldn’t let me out of the house!”
- Men might even jump into a new relationship, but that won’t last very long
What makes a guy miss you? If you are wondering, “Does absence make a man miss you?”, the answer is “Yes”. Eventually, reality sets in, after they’ve tried all the evasive measures they could’ve thought of. Now comes the part where they actually have to confront what they’re feeling, which can get very, very hard for some men.
2. When you stop talking to them for good
When you cut a guy off and stop sending text messages, he will naturally start to become more curious about what you’re up to. As long as guys can see your social media stories and drop in the occasional “Hi,” they won’t realize they have lost you for good.
Someone who is strict with the no-contact rule is the kind of girl guys regret losing. Cut him off, he will miss you! When he doesn’t get the answers to the questions he has in his mind, he’ll grow frustrated. Maybe even ask your mutual friends about you. Once that happens, it’s one of the signs he will come back.
3. When wishful thinking sets in
Once a little more time passes, a guy starts to reminisce the great moments and how emotionally attached he was:
- Men often leave out the memories that remind them why the relationship fell apart, choosing to only focus on the good times
- Some might even doubt themselves and ask, “Maybe I was the one who was wrong the entire time”!
- This ego-diminishing act can make men realize they made a mistake and want their ex back
This is also the stage where you might probably receive an “I miss you” or “I’m sorry I treated you so bad” text. That’s because most guys convince themselves that they were not in a healthy relationship. Once they realize that that wasn’t necessarily the case, you can probably see a story or two on their social media about certain things you did as a couple.
So, when do guys start to miss you after a breakup? It’s when they realize that their relationship wasn’t as bad as they thought it was and they start to recall the memories you both spent together.
4. When they realize being single isn’t all that great
It’ll take a little time, but guys eventually come around to realizing that the single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Yes, you save a little bit more money, but you also lack the happiness that you get from taking care of someone. And of course, always having someone to do stuff with.
When he realizes he now has to do their shopping based on his judgment of fashion, all hell breaks loose. Expect the next few t-shirts to be extremely ill-fitted and the color scheme all over the place. This makes him want you back after breakup, as he misses being in a relationship.
The fact that the answer to the question, “When do guys start missing their ex?” is when they start missing the relationship doesn’t necessarily mean that they valued being in a relationship more than they valued the person they were with. Once they realize they long for the companionship once again, they understand that the only person they want it from is their ex-partner. That’s why rebound relationships with new girls don’t work out.
Related Reading: This Is How Your Breakup Affects Your Pet: A Dog’s Point Of View
5. When you upload that Instagram selfie with a new bae
When do guys start to miss you after a breakup? When they see you smiling with another man. There’s nothing in the world that stings more than this to a newly single guy. Especially, if there’s zero contact between the exes. Whether he’s stalking his ex on social media or not, that new photo of you with your new love interest will find its way into his phone and it’ll leave him shattered.
After this happens, guys suddenly seem to be in love with their ex. The memories of the relationship will come flooding back to him and more often than not this is when a man realizes he lost a good woman. The reason why this is what makes a man miss a woman after a breakup is because it’s around this time that he totally accepts the fact that you’re never coming back, and he unwillingly accepts that he’s jealous of this new man in your life.
6. When he goes through a challenging phase in his life
When does a man start to miss you? When life eventually gets hard, guys will crave emotional support more than ever. Unfortunately, society hasn’t taught men how to be emotionally vulnerable with other male friends. It is often seen as effeminate to discuss topics such as sadness and emotional hurt with other men.
This eventually results in men having no idea how to help out their male friends in times of emotional distress. This is when guys start to miss you after a breakup. Men don’t experience the kind of support and answers they get from their girlfriends anywhere else.
‘When does a man start to miss you? I used to ponder over that question after my breakup with my boyfriend of 9 months. The way he cut me out of his life felt like he never cared much for me and the relationship meant nothing to him. Two months after our breakup, he broke down in front of me, crying about not being able to deal with the loneliness. After that day, the only question I was left with was, why does it take guys 8 weeks to miss you?” Jessica told us.
7. When do guys start missing their ex? When they miss being in a relationship
Loneliness is what makes a man miss a woman after a breakup. When a man misses you, they will crave the cuddles and the emotional stability and always having someone to do things with. Naturally, they will miss you when this happens.
Guys will miss the security and sexual intimacy that they shared with you. This is when they start wishing they treated you better so they could still have the emotional support and the sex. This can take anywhere between 8-16 weeks, depending on how quickly they see their friends enjoying being in relationships.
How Long Does It Take A Man To Realize What He Lost?
When do guys start to miss you after a breakup is different to realizing the quantum of the loss. They will miss you first, then build you up in their heads. When guys start to try and date again and realize that there aren’t that many fish in the sea, that’s when a man realizes he lost a good woman.
Related Reading: 9 Expert Tips To Stop Feeling Sorry For Yourself After Breakup
The kind of girl guys regret losing is one who was nurturing, loving and just clicked when it came to a sense of humor. The idea of dating again can seem exhausting as he’ll have to connect with a different woman all over again and even then it might not last.
Guys will then start remembering the good things about you and how you both connected. He will keep aside the qualities of you he didn’t like and will start to realize he lost a good woman. However, if a new relationship does find its way into the guy’s life (which will almost always be after you’ve already moved on), he will not think about you much.
If you’re struggling to come to terms with your breakup and feel like you need some help, Bonobology’s panel of experienced therapists can help you understand how to move on effectively and resume your life.
FAQs
Yes, guys do miss their girlfriends after they break up. When do guys start to miss you after a breakup, however, is a little more tricky. It can be immediate if the breakup was caused by outside influences. But in most other cases guys do tend to miss their girlfriends a little after the woman has already started moving on. This is because guys tend to run away from their feelings and are not great at dealing with the difficult emotions they might have stirring inside of them.
Yes, guys will eventually realize what they lost when they try to start dating again. Unless the perfect partner comes into their life without them even trying, which is highly unlikely, they will realize that finding a partner is extremely hard and maybe they let a good girl go. When guys see their ex with another person, they suddenly seem to be in love with their ex.
When guys start asking your friends about how you’re doing, when they send you an inconspicuous “What’s up?” to see how you’re doing and when they start being less active on social media, are all tell-tale signs of guys missing you after a breakup.
Guys might even send you an “I miss you, I wish I treated you better” message long after the relationship is over too. That’s because they miss the emotional stability and sexual intimacy the relationship brought with it.
If the relationship was unfruitful and you cheated or did something equally bad, chances are he won’t. However, he will start missing you if the breakup was the guy’s fault. Or if outside influences caused the breakup, or even if it just didn’t work out, chances are he will think about coming back to you. When a man realizes he lost a good woman, he wants to make amends.
The probability of the man acting on those impulses can never be penned down since it depends on how emotionally strong he is or how bad he wants you back. Rest assured, he will at least think about wanting you back.
Most guys tend to run away from their feelings as a defense mechanism. They assume that by never confronting the negative thoughts brewing inside of them, they’ll never have to face them. That is, of course, until they finally acknowledge and accept the breakup and reality hits them like a truck. Though some may take 8 weeks to get there, other can take a lot longer or some may even miss you a few weeks after the breakup.
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