Conclusion

Nothing I said is new. You haven’t learned anything groundbreaking by reading this, it isn’t the point. There’s a load of stuff you can throw yourself into to get over the absence of romantic life. Will it fully leave your mind and leave you like a monk who has found transcendence? No. But you can reduce the craving, the desire to manageable levels. Find what you adore and sink into it. Find what you’re merely okay with but still enjoy and delve deeper.

Does your day allow for some schedule improvement? Does it need some novelty to mix things up? Do it. The more you’re working that muscle, that dumb skill that will never find any use except make you smile and win that question on trivia night, that craft that will make you the world’s foremost expert at painting sphinxes with your elbow and weaving baskets, do it. Find your tricks to get over the bad days and the intrusive thoughts. It’s out there, to try, learn and adopt.

You’re allowed to say fuck it and give up on love. You can make the absence go from a huge hole to a little thing that can be forgotten about, but it's gonna take work.

Best of luck.