The Break-Up Diet - Don’t Text Your Ex (Unless You Have To) - Josephine Eklund

Episode Date: January 29, 2026

In this episode, I’m joined by my very good friend Josephine Eklund, and let’s just say… it escalates quickly.We’re talking rebounds (more than one), sleeping with your ex after the breakup, and the awkward reality of “no contact” when you suddenly have to message them about… antibiotics. Yes, that actually happened. We get into whether rebounds actually help, how to realise you’re not over someone at the worst possible time, and why sometimes your friend has to text your ex for you because the shame is too real.Josephine opens up about breaking up during lockdown, not being invited to her boyfriend’s birthday (while living together), Christmas sex with an ex, and the moment she finally got over him in Tulum. We also cover being friends with your ex (or absolutely not), closure conversations, forgiving people who hurt you, and why breaking up with a good guy can feel even worse.Plus: no-contact rules, post-breakup glow-ups (or lack of), saying “I love you” without meaning it, and the most niche ick you’ve ever heard involving snails and bare feet.If you’ve ever texted your ex when you said you wouldn’t, used a rebound as a coping mechanism, or convinced yourself chaos is character development — this episode is for you.🎧 Don’t Text Your Ex (Unless You Have To) - Josephine Eklund Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I met someone like a rebound right away. Was that good? Do you think that helped or really? It helped, but then I met him again, like two months later. Your ex? Right before Christmas, yeah. Okay. And then we had sex.

Okay. Okay. Wait, wait, so what happened to the rebound? An STD. No. No. He wasn't an STD, really. No.

Yeah. Yeah. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. What happened to the rebound? With the rebound, like an actual flame? You know the rebound. With the rebound, I know he is. No.

No, but I got an interlew. But that was a few rebounds in Toulouse. Buckle up, bitches. It's going to get bumpy. This is the breakup diet. Welcome back to another episode. Today we have my very good friend, Josephine, on. So welcome to the podcast.

Thank you. So Josephine has been like a super good friend for me during my breakup, my registries are breakups. Oh, you've been the best for me. Oh, going through my breakups. So we both know what each other are like during that, like, stayed, which isn't fun. But yeah, whenever you've given me advice, it's been like very, do what you want to do, even if it might not be the stereotypical, typical, correct thing to do. Sorry, the correct thing to do. No. You're like, just do it because if you want to, you're going to end up doing it in a week. Yeah. And if you listen to someone's,

advise you're just going to do what you want to do anyway. Yeah. They just need to realize, it takes time to realize what you, what's the best thing to do is. Yeah. Sometimes. How many breakups have you had? Two, like serious ones. Were they both hard?

In different ways. So the first one was like my first, my first love. And that was kind of like mutual decision. Yeah. We were just arguing too much about nothing really. Yeah. I think you're not right. stop working.

It literally would be the smallest thing. It was forever. We were such good friends too. And it was lockdown. So, I don't know. Was it hard then? That was, like, when you went through the breakup, wasn't still locked down, like, and you couldn't see other people?

Oh, yeah. So when we first moved in together, so we spent like every second of every day together. And I kind of want to, like, stop drinking as much as I used to. Because there was nowhere to go. And I was in a relationship. And he kind of just wanted to, like, keep drinking, stay out with his friends at someone's place. Yeah.

But when you did break up finally, was it still locked up, like was it still everything shut? And then could you go out and meet other people? You couldn't. I mean, I probably could. I went, yeah. Yeah, I wanted to Tulum, like, like, two, 30 months after. Okay.

When we broke up, I moved out. We broke up on his birthday. Oh, God. How did you break out with so many on their break? birthday because you can only be six people you remember it and you were it was your boyfriend and you didn't invite me so i was like okay and you live together yeah so i went to meet something like i went up with my friends how did he even say that who i know and he's like come over to to mine have a drink and he called me later my ex my ex now my boyfriend then and on his birthday and i'm like yeah i'm here

at this place with this guy and some some of my friends friends and then we came back home, I had the biggest argument, and then just broke up the next day. But he kind of started it. Yeah, he didn't invite you. You're obviously not going to sit at home. And if you're like, you're my boyfriend that I live with and you didn't invite me to your birthday. And then after that, how did you even break that to you?

And how did you let that happen? Sorry. Like, I'm confused. No, he was, he's just told me like, this is what I'm going to do for my birthday. And you were like, oh, thanks. I'm coming with, I'm going with this person and this person. I'm not like counting. I'm like, okay, that's like six people.

And you can only be six people. So I'm like, okay, I'm not invited. That is shocking. Sorry. And you live together. That's so awkward. But we were so, we were not in a good place. Yeah, yeah.

But still, how do you, how do you do that? You would think you would just have to invite you. And then, yeah, I moved in to my own apartment. I met someone like a rebound right away. Was that good? Do you think that help? Oh, don't really. It helped, but then I met him again, like two months later.

Your ex? Right before Christmas, yeah. Okay. And then we had sex. Okay. Okay. Wait, wait, so what happened to the rebound? An STD.

No. No. It wasn't an STD, really. No. Yeah. Yeah. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. What happened to the rebound?

With the rebound? With the rebound? You know who is? No. No. No. No, but I got it in Touloub. But that was the few remands in Touloub, too.

No. But. What I think it was wrong? In this room, by the way. Wait, wait, wait, wait. No, no. Starting with an A. Oh, okay, yeah, yeah, okay, okay, yeah, I know, I know.

But that was meant to be for my friend. And she was like, no, no, he's way too young for me. Okay, but you should, because you just been going through a break after you. Okay. So, I'm on. Was it like a, you kind of like saw this person for a bit kind of thing? It was like a situation. Yeah. And then, and then you saw your ex again.

Yeah. And you had sex. And you gave an S-D-D-D. Yeah. How do you know you had an S-D-D? I thought it was something like my coil. Okay. So I want to look it up.

And they said it wasn't, it was called something like, it wasn't like clamidia or something like that. It was called something like really. Oh, wait. It was cool. But it was easy to get rid of it. Yeah. It was like. of infection.

Okay, okay. Okay. So how do you find out? And then did you have to tell him? I found out and I was like, oh my God, I'm not over him. But now I've given him, I've probably given him this thing. Did you give it to him? He told me I did.

Oh no. That's because I had to tell him. Maybe he lied. I don't know. Because then I had to sleep with my rebound again to see if I got it back. What? Yeah. Where is this?

I love. Wait. So then you're like, I don't know. I got rid of it. So I'm going to sleep again. And with this person deceived, I get, like, get it again? I can't remember how, wait, I can't remember. Okay, yeah, but yeah, I don't know.

I didn't get it back. So, yeah. You don't know who it was from? No. I don't know. The story continues. And I spoke to my friend about it and she's like, oh my God, I had a same. How did you tell him?

Wait, wait, pause. How the hell did you tell your ex that you think, that you think you gave him an SD? I got my friend to message him. Saying what? Yeah. Yeah. saying like Joseph and it's too embarrassed to text you about this. But it's, I know it's like Christmas soon and you're probably going,

you won't have a drink. So maybe go on the antibiotics before Christmas. Oh my God. What did he say? He took it so well. He took it very well. What a champ. Yeah.

Yeah. What a champ. Yeah. Jesus. If someone messaged me that, sorry. I would be. This is a few. If I had that from my ex, if I had that from my ex, if I had that from my ex, if I had that from my eggs, I would be feeling, I would be crying.

I was so embarrassed though. Would you? Oh, yeah. You've seen me when I'm freaking out about something. Yeah. Like, and that's just other things. Like, if I'm freaking out on your ass, you've seen my state. I'm like crying already.

Yeah. Oh, no. I was just embarrassed. Okay. Because that, that's when I was like, okay, maybe. I'm not over here. Okay, fair. But I thought I was.

But then we went to Mexico. Yeah. And after that trip, I was actually over him. I feel like going away definitely does help a breakup. Yeah. Because you just like... And it was too much a drama in Mexico too. To think, for me, to think about my ex.

Fair. Fair. Fair. But do you not think sometimes when it's like you have like a bad situation, it then makes you think even more because you're like, oh no, maybe I miss them. I need to go back. I know because he was kind of like, no, no, I didn't.

I missed him like, not at that time, but like, we're friends now. Yeah. Like, we're, yeah, friendly at least. Do you think it's always easy to stay friends with the next? I think if both parts are over each other, maybe. I mean, I think I don't think you can stay friends like right after the breakup. Yeah. Unless both of you.

I don't think you can stay right after. If one of you have feelings for the other person, then don't. Yeah. I mean, at least like two years. Yeah, I agree. Or it depends. Like, depends on, yeah. No, I agree, to be honest.

I think it's really hard to stay friends with an ex. Yeah. Especially if you've gone from like having sex, so then nothing. And then it's like... Oh, but we didn't even have sex in the end. No, but you have, no? Yeah. You know what I mean?

So then it's like a bit weird. Yeah. So I've seen you naked and now we're just like, not meant to even, you know. I know. That's what's so weird too. Like, yeah. When you see an ex again and you can't, it's like,

you used to always like hold their hand or touch their leg and now you're like, oh no, I can't do that. My recent ex, he did that to me when I went up with him after I broke up with him. Yeah. And he was like, trying to like, hold my hand. And I'm like, who. Yeah, yeah. And he's like, do you think I'm, like, gross.

Yeah. Oh, no. No. It's just not like, it's not like that. No, I don't want you to get like... The wrong idea. Yeah, the wrong idea. The wrong idea. I get it. Yeah. But still, it's weird.

That is actually such a weird change that people don't really talk about that much. It's like the boundary that goes up. Because obviously you like, don't feel like when you have a partner, you can like touch them or hold their hand like this, like without like usy. And then it's like, you kind of go like a force field. Some people are like that. Like, in general. Like, even with friends.

No, I'm not that touching. I'm really not. Unless I really, like, love someone. Yeah, I'm not that touchy, but, like, over the years, I'll hug, like, my more close to friends. But besides that, like, no one would ever hug me. No, I'm, like, uncomfortable. Oh, yeah.

Like, when you were crying, I hugged you, but... Yeah. Fair. Yeah, yeah. I get you. I get you. But you're... Are you an affectionate person, do you say? I don't know.

Like, would you openly say, maybe not even affect you? would you openly say your feelings in a relationship or do you kind of like... Oh no, not really. No. No, I'm not... I'm not... If someone... Yeah.

No, it's really difficult for me to say like, even like, I love you. Yeah. I don't know. Yeah. I get that. It's quite scary. What are you like? I'm quite the same, to be honest.

Like, it took me like a long time say I love you. Even if I probably felt it more before, it was still like... I write a show. it someone. Yeah, same. And saying it. Same. Because it's just so easy to say, I love you.

I find it kind of fake. Yeah, me too. That's that weird. Like, sometimes when I said, like, I have said it. And like, I do feel it. And I would do things that would make me feel it. But I sometimes feel like I'm just saying it. But I didn't actually, like, really feel like saying those words.

Oh, yeah. No, people who said, like, I love you to me. Yeah. Sometimes I'm like, oh, okay. Oh, okay. Thank you. But I feel like I have to say it back. Yeah.

You do? Yeah. I do too. So, I mean, yeah. But mine was like, even if I did feel it, like I don't think saying I love you all the time is necessarily needed. No. You can tell. With my recent ex when he said I love you, I obviously I said it back.

What did you do? What did you do? But I kind of, like, because I did love him, but I probably wasn't in love. Yeah. So I didn't lie. Fair. But, yeah, I've never said to him, I'm in love with you. Fair.

Fair. I loved him a lot, but I don't think I was in love. Yeah. Yeah. Was it hard to realize? Did you, like, know that from a while, or did you, like, realize that? I knew it in the start because I was in love with someone else. Uh-huh.

So, yeah. But then we just got on, like, really well as friends. Yeah, and you kind of forget it. Because you have so much fun. Yeah, we had so much fun. And he was like really... And he's so nice, yeah. Yeah, he's so...

Yeah, you met him. Yeah. So he's... Yeah, he's such a nice person. And he's really, I have nothing bad to say about him. I could, like, nothing. Yeah, yeah. And that's why it was so hard to break up because I had to break up with him.

Yeah, it's hard because he's such a good person. Mm-hmm. And he's done nothing wrong. Yeah. But you know it's not correct because you're not in love with him. So it's almost mean. Yeah, to stay. if you're not in love, I guess.

Yeah. God, that is a hard breakup. Breaking up with a good person, just because it's not your right person, it's the hardest. Yeah, because I couldn't really give a reason. Yeah. Couldn't say, I wish he had done something, like,

bad to me. So I could have just said, that's it. Yeah, I get that. I get that. No, he was perfect to me. Yeah. So when somebody isn't perfect, though, so say they've, like, hurt you

in the past, how do you know to just walk away from that person, even if you do love them? I don't. You don't. No. No, I don't walk away because I feel like if you really like love someone, then you shouldn't just give up that easily.

I mean, sometimes, I mean, I've been so hurt by people. One person especially for like years. Yeah. And it's so easy. Like, I keep forgiving and forgiving, but I don't forget. Yeah. So obviously, that's... Do you think it will hit a point if, say, the bad stuff kept happening or didn't?

That you would then be like, okay? 100%. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like it might take a lot, but people do... No, no, I've, like, I have, like, low standards, like... I think so. Like, got, like, low standards when it comes to...

No, no, I don't think you do it. I got self-respect, I think. maybe less self-love. But self-respect. I mean, I... Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. I think it takes a lot

like a person can not hurt me a lot for me to, like, really... Cut the chord. Yeah. Yeah. But when I do... This is you. Yeah.

But when I do, there's no way back. Yeah, I'm the same. I'm the same. I will give it another. second chance for sure and I'll like here I would give a third chance of four yeah same same it depends on how bad for me but then oh yeah it depends on how bad but but I do also I do yeah yeah when you like are going into a relationship and you're dating maybe not now because like I don't know what you're dating status is but I mean I do but we're not going to say but anyway like when you're

dating somebody new, so this is a scenario. Do you have any red flags that if you're on a date with somebody straight away, you're like, nah, anything that pops up? I don't think I do. I don't think I do have any. So they're like, oh great, I'm a drug deal. You're like, green flag. Oh, great.

Like, I lick my fork on a first date. I mean, would that say that on a first date? Well, they might. If I'm already like in love with someone. No, I'm talking about a first date. You have any eight on the first date. Oh, right. Like if they, I don't know, don't pull out your chair or don't.

Oh, no, I don't care. Okay, okay. I can flirt my own chair. Okay, fair. Independent, boss bitch. What about if they, I don't know, on the very first date would, like, pick up their knife and, like, lick it or something? Oh, that's weird. Yeah, that's a weird.

That's an egg. I don't think I've ever had that. No, but what my ex did. And this is, that was an ick for me. Okay, tell me. It's so random. Okay, tell me. Like, he walked out in his garden, like, in the morning.

But, like, we were out having a drink in a garden. the night before. Okay. And he walked out barefoot in a garden. And there were snails. There were snails there the night before. What if he steps on a snail? And I couldn't stop thinking about dead snails under his feet.

That is a very bizarre. I'm not going to lie. Don't go to Australia. And I wanted to break up with him because of that. Or break up, it weren't even like in a relationship. You thought he might have stepped on the snail? Yeah. And I was so disgusting to have like,

A slimy dead snail I mean, don't go... Have you been to Australia? He just walked out without looking. Have you been to Australia? No. Don't go to Australia. I feel like that's not your place.

No. You could just walk free. I want to see a koala. Have you... Do you ever walk with those shoes? Oh yeah. Yeah. If I look where I walk.

Okay. It was because he didn't look. Yeah. It just didn't look and there were so many snails the night before. I think they were all gone in the morning, but... Yeah, still, you're like, oh, they're slime or whatever. It's disgusting. I hate snails. So that was your ick.

Yeah. That was, yeah. Red flag. We've had it all here. Oh, my God. Red flag. Don't walk outside with no shoes on, with the snails everywhere. So we spoke about, like, you being friends with an ex.

But before that's happened, maybe, because that's Monty or someone. do you believe in closure conversations? Yeah, I do, but it's individual. Like for me, I can only talk about my experiences. Like when I defer it my first breakup, I needed that closure. Like we had a conversation, but not right away because I believe you need time to think

and reflect of what happened and what you want. How long was it? Maybe a few months. Yeah. I think that's good. It was the first two months. That was too early. Yeah. Six months, maybe. I think that's kind of good.

It's after two. Whoever... I honestly think it's quite good when it's that long, to be honest. Because the first few months you're angry, you're sad, you miss them, then you're like, yeah, angry again. No, I think like six months. Yeah. Did you go full known contact and then speak?

Or did you kind of have a little bit? Well, yeah, almost no contact apart from the STD. Then he went no contact because he was like, this bitch gave it an SDD. God. My second ex, I mean, I didn't really need that. No, because it was my decision. And I just felt like no contact would be. better for him.

Okay. I was just like, you need to get over, like, get over me, move on. I didn't say it like that, but I was, yeah, I just thought that would be better for him. You know what I find really hard about no contact is like, the day-to-day things of like, if something like happens that's funny or cute or,

you know what I mean, you get good news and you want to text that person straight away. No, but I did, okay, I kept doing that. Yeah. Because, but I did ask him, like, do you mind if I, like, if you want me to stop texting you. Yeah, but obviously he's not going to want you to stop texting him. No, he said, no, I didn't, I don't even want to get over you. Oh.

But then, yeah. I know. Yeah, no, but I get it. It's hard because that's what I found really hard with my personal breakup. Like, yeah, yeah. I was like, that was the person I talked to all the time about different things and would text and all this. And that was so nice. And I missed our friendship.

And I miss that. Like if you live with someone too, I live with both my exes. I don't, I genuinely. And then you have like, really have like an everyday life with that person. No, I generally don't know how people do it. Like I've had like a very minor little like like dip my toe in and I was so sad for like six months. Yeah.

No, I think it takes more than six months to get over someone. Yeah. Yeah. Do you have any, okay, you might not follow this. advice but do you have any tips for somebody going through a breakup like glow up do glow up like go out meet your friends have fun i became an alcoholic at my like how is that a glow up you're like yeah no no but like no no the first time because it was locked down and nothing else to do i couldn't go out i couldn't like have fun so it's just at home drinking for a month

And how is that having you go out there? No, but I think that's, no, I don't follow my own advice. No, yeah, yeah. I think that's what you should do. Delete everything. Delete that person if you're over that person everywhere. Yeah. Delete a number, delete.

Block. Just block. It's so hard. And I wouldn't do that because I would still like wait for a message, like, an explanation, whatever, like I felt like I need it. Were you scared because you said you drank a bit? Were you scared you were ever going to message? Or did you have a message?

Oh, I did. Yeah, I did. Yeah. Because I was like, you promised me we will stay friends. Yeah. And he's like, no, but give us some time. Oh, yeah, fair. Fair.

Yeah. Okay. So I was more like upset about that. Making found. Yeah. Did you have any moment when you regretted that one, the first one? Regretted the break up. Yeah.

Because you know how you go through the way. Yeah, no. I feel like, no, not really. because I knew if we were right for each other, we would always like find a way back. Fair. So I didn't regret that. That was right at the time to do that.

And still. Yeah, fair. Yeah. I think it's hard when you like break up with somebody though because when you miss them, you sometimes think that missing them and missing that person is like you regret your decision. Oh, I was missing.

I was missing like that daily contact like you said. I think that's so weird. It's literally like weird because you go from spending like every day or even having those small little things that you don't think is that much to nothing. I could like call him when I was in shop and I was like, I don't know if I should,

what should I eat today? Should I buy an avocado? I just wanted him to like, yeah, just give me some, I don't know. Yeah. Just have someone to call about those small things. Yeah. Like, well, I can't decide should I have an avocado.

Should I buy a little of mango? Yeah, fair. It's like I'd just get that. and I've called it. And I had no one to call about that because that's like, no, I can't just. Yeah, call your friend about something. Yeah. Yeah.

Well, I guess I can. But yeah. That's an advice too. Just call it one of your friends. Yeah. About whenever you feel like calling that person, call someone else. Yeah. You need to have like a go-joo friend that picks up all the time.

And keep, keep this, like, keep just keep doing things. Keep go out, have fun. Yeah. And go away. don't have fun, just go out. That was, that was, around yourself with good people, friends, good friends. I think going out and like actually saying yes to things, that was a big thing that I did. Even if you don't want to.

Yeah, I did not want to. Yeah, I feel like I was going through something difficult and you were like, no, you, you were coming up with me. Oh yeah, I did. Dude is rave and I was. We did not have fun, but we kind of did have fun. But because I couldn't, like nothing. I feel like we did have fun of the end, but I get you. Yeah.

I was like just coming out of my breakup. But that was still like 4 a.m. Yeah, fair. So, yeah. And experience. I feel like I had that when I went like away and stuff. I was doing the most amazing things that would people would be like, oh my God, that's so fun.

And I was just not having fun for the first six months. Like nothing. No, because it's so difficult when you have something, like when you're going through something like that, whatever it is, and that's on your mind. It's just because you're just a cloud of sadness. It's like full depression. Yeah. Yeah.

Horrible. Yeah. It's sad. But you do go out of it and then it's like... Yeah. And then it takes time sometimes. Yeah. And give it time.

It's not like, I don't believe if you're sad, you can just decide, like, give it a week. And then stop being sad. Like, no, just let yourself be sad. I mean, don't let it break you down and get depressed and like. Because when you're sad, though, some people, I think some people get confused because sometimes you're like happy for maybe like a little bit and then you're like, oh, I'm over it. Yeah, and then you're like, oh, I'm over it.

And then it's like bang again. Yeah. Anyway, thank you so much for coming on. Thank you.