How to get over a break-up, according to new research

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Luckily, new scientific research suggests there are some cognitive post-breakup strategies that can be employed to make you feel less love for your ex, or even feel happier after a break-up. The first strategy of "negative reappraisal" decreased love feelings but also made subjects feel more unpleasant. The researchers concluded that the results of this experiment suggest that "negative reappraisal is an effective love down-regulation strategy, whereas distraction is an effective positive emotion up-regulation strategy" in the context of a break-up. They added that so-called "love regulation," which they define as "the use of behavioural or cognitive strategies to change the intensity of current feelings of romantic love," is a promising phenomenon, but Langeslag also told TIME that it "doesn’t work like an on/off switch."