Pearl Nash
Regrets after a breakup can eat away at you.
It’s actually pretty normal to wonder if it was for the best, or whether you’ve made a huge mistake. But does your ex regret dumping you?
When you’re dealing with the pain of a breakup, you want to know what’s going on in your ex’s head.
If you’re wondering whether your ex regrets breaking up with you, then you’ve come to the right place.
Here are 25 clear signs that yes, your ex regrets losing you and wants you back.
1) They talk about how great things were when you first met
Thinking back to the good old days in your relationship is a strong sign your ex is having regrets.
They may be talking about the times you spent together as a couple, and the feelings you once had.
This could mean they miss their life with you. Nostalgia suggests that they are now looking back on your time together with rose-tinted glasses.
They may also be trying to get you to remember the good times too, in the hopes it will prompt you to want to take them back.
2) They try to make excuses to see you and hang out again
No matter how casual they try to make it sound, wanting to hang out shows you’re on their mind.
Perhaps they try to find innocent reasons for you two to get together. But it’s likely that your ex wants to see you again because they still have feelings for you.
They may be feeling conflicted about leaving you. If it’s been long enough for them to miss you, then asking to see you obviously means they want to spend more time with you.
3) Want advice specific to your situation?
While this article explores the main signs the dumper wants you back and regrets what they’ve done, it can be helpful to speak to a relationship coach about your situation.
With a professional relationship coach, you can get advice specific to your life and your experiences…
Relationship Hero is a site where highly trained relationship coaches help people through complicated and difficult love situations, like reconciling with an ex. They’re a very popular resource for people facing this sort of challenge.
How do I know?
Well, I reached out to them a few months ago when I was going through a tough patch in my own relationship. After being lost in my thoughts for so long, they gave me a unique insight into the dynamics of my relationship and how to get it back on track.
I was blown away by how kind, empathetic, and genuinely helpful my coach was.
In just a few minutes you can connect with a certified relationship coach and get tailor-made advice for your situation.
4) They still watch your social media stories
When your ex regrets losing you they want to know what you are up to. Social media stalking is the ideal way to do that.
They are still curious about what is going on in your life, so they clearly still care. If they were serious about a clean break they’d avoid you on social media (at least for a while).
You will see that they’ve checked out your stories on social media, but they don’t care. They’re not trying to keep their distance or act aloof.
They’re more interested in keeping tabs on you.
5) They still text you random things
Whether it’s a funny meme they saw, a random thing that happened in their day, or something seemingly unimportant, they’ll send you messages just to say hi and check-in.
The reason they do this is that they want to stay connected to you.
It shows that you were an important person in their life and they’re finding it difficult to cut ties, which may also mean they regret ending things.
6) They seem pretty down
When it starts to sink in that you are really gone, that’s maybe when your ex begins to truly feel the sadness from the breakup.
This is a signal that they are beginning to realize what they lost by breaking up with you.
How do you know if your ex is unhappy?
He or she might seemingly go into a depression, withdraw or perhaps they appear to be quite lonely. This can especially happen when you two were close and they have no one else to turn to.
Looking for signs your ex is miserable without you is going to let you know they’re having regrets.
7) They make a big effort to stay friends
Some couples do manage to salvage a friendship once they’ve split up. But it can be incredibly challenging and usually only works under certain circumstances.
Both of you need to be 100% over any romantic feelings you once had before building a friendship. And it’s quite rare to drop loving feelings overnight.
That’s why a strong urge to be friends after a break-up usually signals one or both of you simply aren’t ready yet to give the relationship up.
8) They show romantic interest in you again
In the early days of dating, you probably felt those butterflies in your tummy whenever you were together. Well, so did they.
That romantic spark you feel during the honeymoon period is hard to beat. It casts a warm glow and fuzzy feelings over everything you do together.
It’s hard to describe but you know it when you feel it. How can you make your ex regret dumping you?
In this situation, there’s only one thing to do – re-spark their romantic interest in you.
I learned about this from Brad Browning, who has helped thousands of men and women get their exes back. He goes by the nickname of “the relationship geek”, for good reason.
In this free video, he’ll show you exactly what you can do to make your ex want you again.
No matter what your situation is, he’ll give you a number of useful tips that you can apply immediately.
Here’s a link to his free video again. If you really want your ex back, this video will help you do this.
9) They say they want to talk
If your ex contacts you asking if you can talk, then you clearly have unfinished business.
A willingness to talk about things shows that your relationship could be salvageable. Maybe they have had time to reflect and realized they gave up on you too soon.
Keeping the lines of dialogue open is significant. There is still something to discuss, so in their mind maybe it’s not over.
They might be regretting the breakup and are wondering if you can find a solution to whatever went wrong between you two.
10) They show signs of jealousy
Jealousy is a sign that your ex is still attracted to you and feels possessive.
If your ex is showing signs of jealousy, then it’s clear they still have feelings left for you, and maybe he or she wants to get back together.
Your ex is probably feeling insecure and worried that you found someone new.
It’s natural to still feel an attachment to someone you split up with, even when you broke up with them. But acting jealous suggests those emotions still run a lot deeper.
Nothing makes an ex regret the break up quite like losing you to someone else.
11) They send you mixed signals
Mixed signals are confusing as hell, but it probably means your ex isn’t sure how to act around you or is also confused about their feelings.
An article on the Considered Man says an ex goes “hot and cold with you because they have complex feelings for you.”
They might seem hot one day and cold another. Perhaps they text you a lot one day and then disappear again for the rest of the week.
Maybe they don’t know whether they should be friendly towards you or keep their distance. Maybe they are trying to act a certain way, but their emotions keep getting the better of them. Or maybe they are still trying to figure out whether they have made a mistake by ending things completely.
12) They ask other people about you
If you aren’t in contact right now, you might have heard that they’ve been asking about you.
This could mean they’re curious about what is going on in your life, how you are feeling and how you’ve been doing since the breakup.
It could also mean they’re interested in getting any details on who else has potentially caught your eye and whether you’ve moved on.
Either way, it’s a good thing! It means they still care enough to check up on you and could be having regrets.
13) They call you late at night
Calling you at odd hours is a huge indication they’re regretting their decision to break up.
If they are calling you late at night, then chances are they are thinking about you and regretting the breakup. It’s also the classic booty call time of day.
Nobody innocently calls anyone after 11 pm in the evening.
They’re alone late at night, they’re thinking about the good times, they’re missing talking to you…and probably other things too (wink, wink).
14) They tell you they still love you
At first, you’d assume that saying you still love someone must mean that you want them back.
It doesn’t always mean this though. After all, we can still love somebody but still not want a relationship with them.
But if your ex admits to you that they still have strong feelings for you, it does make it far more likely that they regret dumping you and want to reconcile.
15) They say they miss you
If your ex says they miss you, then it’s a fairly straightforward sign.
Even if they don’t admit it, they may act like they are missing the old days. They may be wondering why it didn’t work out between you two.
They may be wishing that they had given it another chance rather than break things off.
Either way, letting you know that they miss you can be a way of testing the water. They are probably checking to see if you miss them too, in the hope that you’ll get back together.
16) They are physically affectionate towards you
Let’s be clear, friends don’t usually cuddle, hold hands, or show other signs of physical affection like this. And certainly not friends who are also exes.
If your ex is still very touchy-feely with you, then that suggests there is still something romantic left between you.
Watch out for them leaning in towards you, reaching over to make gentle contact with you (like touching your arm), or removing any physical barriers that get in the way (like cushions on the couch when you’re sitting together).
If your ex still wants to hug, or even snuggle with you, it’s a sign they’re not over the relationship and probably regret the breakup.
17) They are flirty
This is a biggie. Flirting is a major part of what turns friendship into something romantic.
Flirting is a way we show someone we are sexually attracted to them.
They may tease you or act playful around you, making little jokes. They might give you compliments. Or maybe, as I mentioned above, they are still very touchy with you.
Flirting with you means that your ex is still trying to create or keep going that chemistry between you.
So if your ex is suddenly flirting with you, it’s definitely a sign getting back together could be on their mind.
18) They are always around to help when you need them
Normally when you split up with somebody you are no longer available to them in the same way. You can’t be, as you have to move on with your life.
Even if you occasionally still speak to one another, you won’t be around to help out like you used to.
That’s why if your ex is still there for you whenever you need anything, it doesn’t sound like they’ve moved on.
19) They say sorry
After your breakup, maybe your ex tried to explain themselves.
They may apologize for how things happened or say sorry for hurting you. They may say things like how much they care about you and how they wish things had worked out differently.
Remorse is a good indicator of regret. It shows they have been reflecting.
So if your former partner apologizes to you, it’s a strong indication they still have feelings for you and could want to work things out.
20) They stare at you lovingly
Our eyes give a lot away, even when we’re keeping quiet about how we feel.
I once knew that an ex regretted breaking up with me, simply by the way he looked at me. Not long after he told me he still had feelings for me and we got back together.
Although it’s hard to explain when we are looking at someone we have romantic feelings for our eyes light up.
It’s like there is a twinkle in them that you can’t hide.
If you notice puppy dog eyes and loving gazes still coming your way then they are probably feeling regret.
21) They make a point of letting you know nobody else is on the scene
Technically speaking, their current dating status is really none of your business anymore once you split.
So if your ex makes a point of telling you they aren’t with anybody else right now — they obviously want you to know.
It’s a way of telling you that they haven’t moved on yet.
22) They try to impress you
Showing off is always a way of getting someone’s attention.
If they start to do things to try and impress you — whether that’s dress to impress, brag about certain things in their life, or put on a bravado — it’s for your benefit.
We don’t feel the need to impress people that we no longer care about. So assume they are still harboring feelings.
23) They call or text when they’re drunk
When we’ve been drinking our inhibitions relax.
Sometimes that’s when true feelings are revealed. If your ex has been trying to stay away from you, maybe it’s when they’ve had one too many that they start to blow up your phone and get in contact.
They are revealing to you that no matter how much they protest otherwise when they’re sober, you clearly are on their mind.
24) They try to show you they’ve changed
Maybe they’ve decided to go back to school, change careers, or tell you that they’re working on themselves.
Whatever they are doing, they are making sure you know they’ve made some changes.
This could be because they want to prove to you that they have grown as a person, or that they are better than they were before.
Either way, they are showing you they’ve learned something new about themselves. This could be a sign of their regret, and they are trying to make you see that they’ve changed.
25) They call you out of the blue
When an ex has been missing in action for some time, only to reappear on the radar — then something gives.
How long does it take an ex to regret a breakup?
For some people, it can take a while for the loss to really sink in. This can be when they finally come to their senses.
I once had an ex break up with me, only for several months later (after no contact) for him to call me up crying, telling me he missed me and wanted me back.
Phone calls out of the blue are a big sign an ex regrets the choices they made.
How to make your ex regret dumping you
Let’s face it, most of us once we’ve been dumped want our ex to feel regret, remorse, and feel the pain we feel.
We can be tormented with thoughts like ‘Will my ex regret leaving me?’
Because deep down we want them to regret it, whether that’s because we want them back or simply because we’re hurt by the rejection we feel.
So how do you make your ex regret breaking up with you?
Here are 3 simple but effective tips…
1) Show them what they are missing
As hard as it is, the best revenge is often to carry on and live a good life.
That doesn’t mean you won’t feel sad and still need to grieve the breakup. But it’s also important to take good care of yourself, try to do fun things to cheer yourself up, and spend plenty of time with friends and family.
Try to go out and take your mind off things. Get your friends together and have a night out.
The more your ex thinks you are out there living your best life, the more they are likely to regret losing you.
2) Make yourself unavailable
The reason a lot of experts recommend the no contact rule after a breakup is that it is not only the best way for you to heal, but it also gives you and your ex time and space to reflect.
That can be when the reality of the breakup finally dawns on your ex, and when they really start to miss you.
The less available you seem to them now, the more likely they are to regret losing you.
3) Respark their interest
I mentioned Brad Browning earlier – he’s an expert in relationships and reconciliation. He says the best way to get an ex’s attention again is to do the things which will re-spark those passions again.
After all, they fell for you once. So you want them to feel those same initial sparks so they fall for you again.
But rather than leaving it up to fate to decide, why not take things into your own hands and find a way to get through to your ex?
If you really want to get your ex back, you’re going to need a bit of help (and the best person to turn to is Brad Browning.)
No matter how ugly the breakup was, how hurtful the arguments were, he’s developed a couple of unique techniques to not only get your ex back but to keep them for good.
So, if you’re tired of missing your ex and want to start afresh with them, I’d highly recommend checking out his incredible advice.
