Some of the best advice you can follow after getting dumped is to avoid contacting your ex.
The reason for this is that you stand a very good chance of making the situation much worse if you harass them with phone calls and text messages.
That is some very sound advice.
However, there is a limit when it comes to staying away.
If you avoid contact for too long, there is a very good chance that the relationship will simply fade away and the two of you will go your separate ways.
It really is a fine line: on one hand, you want to make sure that you are fresh in their mind, on the other, you want to make sure that you are not being a pain in their side - you don't want to end up losing their respect.
Of course, the ideal situation is to operate between these two extremes.
You want to still be there in their life, but not as some desperate ex that just can't take no for an answer.
In order to accomplish this, you are going to have to start by clearing the air, so to speak.
This involves having a short conversation with them to make sure that they understand where you are coming from.
Tell them that you accept the breakup and that you wish it could have worked out.
This is not a time to start begging for another chance.
Next, make sure that you give them some space.
Wanting to hang out with your ex as a friend in the days following the breakup is a little strange.
You both need time to yourselves - there is no getting around this, no matter how much you want to be with him/her.
During this time, make sure you are not simply sulking in your bedroom.
Take the opportunity to get out there and live a little.
Sure, you may not feel great, but having the faith that you will reunite with your ex in the future can make it almost bearable.
Make sure that you touch base with some of your good friends and try to forget about the relationship for a while.
When the time is right, re-establish contact with him/her.
Don't make any romantic gestures (that is long gone), just try to relate to them as a friend.
It helps if you still circulate in the same social circles.
Even if they don't seem that keen on the idea, try your best to act as though you have no ulterior motives.
Their guard is going to be up initially, but once they see that you are simply trying to be a friend, they may relax a little.
From there, it is going to be up to your personality and charm to slowly create interest, attraction, and desire once more.