Your ex walks into the bar, and you feel your heart sink. What should you do? What shouldn’t you do? Do you talk to them? Should you stay or should you go? Figuring out how to act when you see your ex out at a bar can be tough, especially if the two of you haven’t spoken in months and there’s still some unresolved tension between the two of you.

To help guide you through this delicate situation, here are some tips on what to do when you see your ex out at a bar and how to proceed from there. What To Do When You See Your Ex Out At A Bar

Don’t engage with them.

It’s possible that you haven’t seen your ex for years, but seeing them out at a bar can still hurt. If you do see your ex out on a date with someone new, try not to engage with them. Staying strong and focused is key.

Sure, they broke up with you—but they didn’t break you down! Allowing old relationships to dominate your life is precisely what makes it challenging to move on and find happiness in future relationships.

If they are with someone else, then leave.

If they are with someone else, then it’s probably better that you leave. If you approach them and try to start a conversation with your ex, you run the risk of disrupting their new relationship.

Leave things as they are. Leave them to be happy. They deserve it after all they put you through! However, if they appear single, then try talking to them and see how things go from there.

If they approach, tell them you are about to leave. If you see your ex in a bar or somewhere else and they come over to talk to you, tell them that you are actually on your way out.

Tell them if they’d like to meet up later or if you can hang out at some other time. If they push for an answer right then and there, be polite but firm. Let them know that you are not interested in talking at that moment and that maybe you can get together sometime soon.

If you are on a date, then remain on the date & don’t tell your date.

If you’re with a new partner and you see your ex at a bar, do not tell your date what is going on. It will be more complicated than you think, and it’s none of their business. If they ask, shrug it off & avoid talking about it.

This isn’t your story to tell. This isn’t anyone’s story to tell except for yours & theirs. The best thing you can do is pretend like it didn’t happen and try to enjoy yourself as much as possible.

Just because someone else might be having a stormy night doesn’t mean you have to, too, so stay positive!

Read More: Verbal Agreements About Your Divorce Never Work

They will try to make you jealous.

If you happen to run into your ex while they’re out, chances are they will want to make sure you know they are enjoying life and having fun. Even if they didn’t go out on a date with someone else, they will likely try to bring them up in conversation in some way.

They may say something like, ‘I ran into an old friend from high school; what a small world!’ or ‘It was so nice to see Joe again; I haven’t seen him since college!’ This is their attempt to make you jealous and try to get under your skin.

Don’t let it work! Remember that there is nothing wrong with meeting new people or going out for drinks with friends. Let them have their night of fun without getting upset about it!