 Have you ever experienced a confusing breakup? Do you wonder if your ex still cares about you? Two partners can experience a breakup very differently. For you, the breakup may have been surprising and emotional, but your partner may have been ready for a change. To help you understand how they really feel, here are seven signs that your ex has moved on. One, they've created emotional distance. Sometimes, people move on before the relationship ends. In a 2008 study, Barbara and Dion explained that breakups are harder on one partner than the other. Why? Because one partner usually creates emotional distance. Their attachment to their partner begins to dwindle as they think about ending the relationship. By the time this person initiates the breakup, they've already begun thinking about the future. Did your ex become distant or unavailable on the weeks or months leading up to your breakup? And if the answer is yes, your ex may have already moved on. Two, they change their tone. Every relationship cultivates a unique dynamic. People speak to each other in ways that no one else can really understand. But what if your ex suddenly changes their tone? After breaking up, many partners talk to each other and link their still together. They flirt, they use nicknames, they laugh about inside jokes. Continuous chemistry is often a sign that you both have left over feelings. But according to a 2015 study by Alamand and others, breakups can also cause major shifts in personality. If your exes change their tone, if they've suddenly become cold, blunt or unreliable, this could be another sign your ex has gotten over the relationship with you. Three, they weren't surprised. How did your ex respond to your breakup? Did the end of your relationship catch them by surprise? Based on a 2009 study by Field and Others, unresolved feelings create shock and confusion in the wake of a breakup. If you want to continue the relationship, you may rack your brain wondering how and why things fell apart. On the other hand, if you've moved on, you may know exactly where things went wrong. So how does your ex feel? If they seem calm and confident about your breakup, this could be a sign they've let go of their relationship. Or they've conquered heartbreak. In a 2019 study, Renkin and others explain that many breakups trigger a depression-like period of stress. You may know this deep, dark pit of emotions as heartbreak. When a relationship ends, strong residual feelings create a storm of emotional stress in your brain. But over time, your stress will dissipate, your emotions will settle, and your feelings for your ex will begin to fade away. If your ex has already crawled out of this deep, dark pit of emotions, they've gotten over the relationship and they've conquered heartbreak. Five, they keep to themselves. Does your ex make an effort to talk to you? Do they text or call just to see how you're doing? If not, their silence may be sending you a message. After a breakup, many partners stop talking to their exes. They avoid getting back together by initiating a no-contact period. If your ex reaches out, it means they still want you in their life. If not, your ex may want to keep their distance from you. Six, they've taken back their belongings. Have they already removed their belongings from your place? Or perhaps they told you to come pick up everything you ever gave them. This infamous ritual is very common sign that your relationship is over. When your ex wants to pursue new connections, they may take steps to remove you from their life. While these exchanges can be painful, they're beneficial in the long run. Those items may hold value to you now, but they'll interfere with your relationships in the future. And seven, they're in a serious relationship. Has your ex found someone new? Not all new relationships mean the same thing. Many people will date new partners just to fill the void left by their last relationship. But what if your ex has entered something serious? This is a big sign that they've moved on. If your ex has been seeing a new partner for a long time, they're searching for happiness elsewhere. So it may be time for you to do the same thing. How did you know it was time to end a past relationship? Tell us your experiences in the comment section below. Don't forget to click the like button and subscribe for more psychology content. And as always, thanks for watching.