You’ve been happily living your single life for a while now, sipping cocktails and enjoying the sun on vacation. Your ex is nowhere near your mind now since you think the relationship is over.
All of a sudden, you get an unexpected text from your ex. He says he misses you and wants to get back together. You ask yourself: Why does it take guys 8 weeks to miss you?
You’ve been through all the grieving stages after your breakup. You’ve cried, been depressed, and bargained, and now you’re here, happily forgetting about him.
It almost seems unfair that you’re over him while he is still stuck in the loop. In fact, he is missing you now, not the other way around. This is why I am here to help you answer all of your questions regarding the no-contact rule.
I will tell you all the reasons behind the so-called 8-week rule that makes men miss you, together with some questions you might have after reading.
Why Does It Take Guys 8 Weeks To Miss You?
Most relationship experts and forums say that it generally takes at least 8 weeks for guys to start missing you after a breakup. This is regardless of whether the guy is the dumper or the dumpee.
This is because guys have a hard time missing you if they are given less time to process their grief.
In other words, they also have a few stages they go through after a breakup that need to be addressed, and they include:
• FIRST FEW WEEKS: A man’s mind enjoys his single life and mental health after a relationship ends. This goes on for the first couple of weeks while they give their ex-girlfriend the silent treatment.
• MOOD SWING PHASE: The second phase they go through isn’t so positive anymore, and this is when a guy is going through mood swings. He doesn’t know what to believe about you.
• YOU’RE GONE: Around the 5th week after your breakup, he realizes that he can’t just make a phone call to hook up with you. This is the time of heartbreak for him.
• MISS YOU PHASE: Soon after follows the phase in which men miss their significant others, often known as the 8-week rule or 60-day rule. While there are exceptions to the rule, real-life situations show that men start missing you after 8 weeks. Of course, every man is different.
After we have looked at the background of male psychology, it is time to answer our question: Why does it take guys 8 weeks to miss you?
The first and most common reason it takes most guys 8 weeks to miss you could be that they are still experiencing other stages of grief after ending the relationship because they are over you or other personal reasons.
After the 8 week period is finished, the guy should decide whether he comes back to you and falls in love with you again or to ditch you and look for a new relationship. We will now explain what some of the most common reasons are.
8 Explanations For The 8-Week Rule
Here are some of the reasons why your ex-boyfriend didn’t reach out to you and why you’re still wondering, “Why does it take guys 8 weeks to miss you?”
1. Enjoying the single life
They are preoccupied with the relaxation period of their own life after their breakup in the first place. Your ex wants to enjoy life and live the bachelor lifestyle he enjoyed so much.
2. He doesn’t know what to say
Your man misses you, but he is too shy to say it. The last time this happened was when he wanted to ask you out but couldn’t collect the courage to do so. He tried to contact a mutual friend and see how you’re doing but got no text back.
3. Mood swing time
Your guy misses you but doesn’t know how to feel about it, and he still isn’t ready to reach out to you. Of course, once the walls break down, he will most probably look to you for some cuddles. It is just a matter of time before he reaches out to you.
4. He realized he’s lost you
This is the end of your relationship with him, and he is positive you meant he shouldn’t reach out to you anymore.
Now he spends all his time with his best friend and loved ones, looking for a way to reach out to you. This means he is ready to tell you he misses you.
5. He is over you
Let’s face it. There is a huge possibility your guy won’t reach out to you at all. He could already be in a new relationship, taking selfies and doing all the little things that made him happy with you.
Of course, I don’t recommend jumping into one yourself, but you need to face the fact that your ex-boyfriend could be over you.
6. He is giving you the silent treatment
There is a possibility that your ex-boyfriend is using the no-contact rule on you or giving you the silent treatment.
Will he come back? Most probably yes, especially since he is waiting to see your next move. He is just playing these games to get back at you.
7. Emotions
In fact, how early guys miss you depends on the amount of emotions they have and how much they are in touch with them. A more emotional man is sure to miss you earlier than one that isn’t that emotional.
8. Still processing
If you’ve had a messy breakup, your ex might still be processing everything after 8 weeks. Therefore, the answer to the question, “Why does it take guys 8 weeks to miss you?” might be because they are taking their time to process the breakup.
How Long Into No Contact Will He Miss Me?
When using the no-contact rule, it takes most people 4 to 8 weeks to start missing and want their ex back. You need to understand that the shorter timeframes are the time women need to start missing someone.
Men generally take 8 weeks to start missing their ex-girlfriend. Sometimes, it can take men up to 16 weeks to start missing you. Again, this all depends on the person.
I don’t need to remind you that the no-contact rule is the best piece of post-relationship advice. It forbids all contact with your ex over text messages, social media, and other ways of communication for 30 to 90 days. The rule’s goal is to get your ex back or absolutely forget them.
I will conclude that how long it takes someone to miss you depends on their personality. Some people will miss you right away, while others will take longer to miss you.
If you suspect he isn’t missing you, your ex-boyfriend could be so busy with work or other things that they won’t have had time to think about you at all.
Do Guys Ever Realize What They Lost?
Yes, once a man sees that you have moved on with your life, he will most probably realize what he lost. In fact, he’ll probably realize you were someone he could have spent his life with. It’s too late for that now.
The guy can see your growth over social media, hear it from mutual friends, or see it himself. The main thing is that they see an adult that has grown past them.
The timeframes needed for a guy to realize what they have lost depends on both their mental and emotional maturity and on you. If you can’t stop seeming desperate when trying to get your ex back, the probability of him reaching out to you is minimal.
If you want to speed up this process, use the no-contact rule. The goal is to get your ex back without seeming like you’re uninterested in them. But, in fact, you are just playing them by not reaching out.
Your ex will believe you are over him and reassess how they acted during the relationship. They will most probably figure out they treated you badly and finally realize what they lost.
In Conclusion
After reading this article, we can conclude that men accept grief after ending a relationship differently than women. In other words, women feel separation much sooner than men do.
I hope my article helped you find the answer to the question, “Why does it take guys 8 weeks to miss you?” I hope I shed some light on both the grieving process after a breakup and the reasoning behind the 8-week rule.
Now, it’s up to you to decide if your man is worth a second chance or if you’re totally done with him. Remember, there is always a reason behind every breakup.
