Breaking up with someone that you love can sometimes leave a void in your life that is sometimes likened to the death of a loved one
. Your emotions are drained and there is a great sense of loss. In order to survive the pain of a break up you need to first get rid of all the bottled up emotions and hurt. Carrying around that kind of baggage can be very harmful to your well being. Do what ever it takes to free yourself of the pain. It is ok to cry. Some people even scream or write down a list of things that they dislike about their ex. Do whatever you need to do (legally) to help you move on.
Now that you are cool, calm and collected, it's time to evaluate the situation. I mean that you should know where you stand with your partner and the relationship. You will have to make sure that the relationship is over and there is no chance for reconsiliation. There is no middle ground here. It is either over or it is not. You must cear this up beyond a shadow of a doubt before you are able to move on.
If the two of you decide that you are both better off going your separate ways, then you will have to elliminate any over lapping factors. By this I mean anything that you may have left at their house or the other way around. Anything that you may have purchased as a couple or items that have emotional ties for the two of you. Some people survive the pain of a break up by performing a little symbolic ritual. This consists of things like burning a picture of them or any number of acts (again, legal) that symboliclly finalizes the break up for you.