It seems that the period from a few weeks after Valentine’s Day to the end of spring is notorious for bad break-ups. Hearts get broken, as do car windows and various other inanimate objects, as couples split and angry break-ups dominate the social circles. Many say that success is the best revenge, which is usually true but revenge is often a dish best served cold, and you have the time from spring to early summer for getting over a relationship and perhaps toss in a bit of payback while enjoying the summer.

Bad break-ups are bad for a reason, get that crap out of your system and move on. No, it is never easy if there were genuine feelings involved but you still need to do whatever it takes to move forward with your own happiness. Here are a few suggestions on how to have a great summer while getting just a little bit of revenge on the person who wronged you!

A lot of people have told me that one of the first things they do after a relationship ends is to get rid of anything that reminds you of the other person. It’s time to clear the bad juju from your life and bring in the good stuff. Some have suggested creating a playlist of songs that remind you of happier times with that person. Are you fricking kidding me! Why not just give yourself a million paper cuts and then take a lemon juice shower! You want music? Create a playlist of positive and motivational songs. To put it mildly, Break-up songs suck. Need more motivation, let’s look in the mirror.

The best summer break-up revenge is to be the best you that you can be, and then flaunt the hell out it! Take that post break up playlist with uplifting songs and hit the gym. I don’t care if you are a fashion model or the school nerd, time in the gym, or a spinning class or just the treadmill will not only be good for the mind but it can transform your body as well. Remember that the person you were dating remembers the way you were and still dated you. So, anything beyond that is their loss, and they will notice!

Okay, now that we have the beginnings of plan in place, let’s first remember that you are doing this for you, revenge after a break-up is just the icing on the cake. But we are now at the stage where we begin a communications black out. This means that we go dark, not FB or Twitter for a while. I would suggest perhaps taking a short vacation. This gives you plausible deniability for the minimal contact. Have a place that you’ve always wanted to see, now might be a great time to do it. This entire process is for you, so enjoy the new beginning. Let people wonder what you are up to and what frame of mind you are in.

Great relationships take time and require a solid foundation, up till now you have been building this foundation for yourself, now that the summer is here it’s time to let the world see who you are. Get out there and mingle! Let yourself be seen by all, and especially anyone who is in contact with your ex. It’s amazing after a bad break-up how much people still want to know what their ex is up to. Of course they will be hoping that after your relationship ended you will have had a complete emotional breakdown and are crying over a picture of them while sleeping on a piece of their clothing. Imagine how they will feel either seeing you or hearing about you looking your best and enjoying the single life. But wait! There’s more! You are single, so being a bit flirty is not just within the rules of break-ups, it is a mandatory part of the relationship healing process.

Of course, you will have moments that you think about your ex, that is completely natural, but you have now moved well past the stage of dwelling on the pros and cons of a relationship. Let the warmth of the sun cover you and allow you to glow. It may be a great time to reconnect with some old friends that you’ve been meaning to spend time with but just never have. There are lots of things you can be doing towards the goal of the spring break-up and the summer revenge, but the most important thing to remember is that this is all about you. It’s fun to think about a little payback but don’t dwell on it, in fact don’t really even think about, if someone is jealous over the found you, so be it. You are the one who has taken a potential negative and turned it into a positive. Bad relationships and break-ups should be about new beginnings, learn from the past but leave it there while you plan your future.