Losing a former lover is one of the hardest things imaginable. What's worse is when a breakup seems permanent-- some couples decide to “take a break” here and there, but others end up saying “goodbye.” If you're asking yourself “How do you get an ex boyfriend back?”, you need to learn about the three proven ways you can salvage a relationship.

1) Turn back the clock.

Do you remember what you were like when you and your ex first started dating? He does. People change, and that's not a bad thing, but it's also easy to end up turning into a completely different person than the woman he began dating.

If you compare the current you with the way you used to be, what's different? When you get into a relationship, your invest a lot of yourself in your partner.

That means that you don't have the same time, money, or energy that you used to, and you end up having to give up on some of the things you used to enjoy doing.

If you loved rock climbing and your partner doesn't, you might have stopped doing it as often. If you used to be in a band, you might have found that you simply didn't have enough time to devote to practicing and performing.

How do you get an ex boyfriend back by doing this? Believe it or not, sometimes, making small changes to go back to that can help remind him of the woman he originally wanted to date.

2) Change something.

Even if you aren't much different from the you that your ex began dating, making a small change can still help bring your ex back to you. Change your hair, part of your wardrobe, or anything you want.

If you've pretty much stayed the same throughout your relationship, this is a great way to make your ex start wondering what else is different about you.

How do you get an ex boyfriend back by doing this? Since familiarity breeds contempt, piquing his curiosity is a great way to bring him running back to you.

3) Be ready to move on.

It might sound paradoxical, but the more you act like you want your ex back, the less likely he is to come back to you.

There isn't much attraction to something that comes too easily, or women wouldn't attract men by playing hard to get.

How do you get an ex boyfriend back by doing this? If your ex thinks that you're ready to move on with someone else, he'll come scrambling back our of jealousy-- of you, for being able to move on so easily, and of the next man you'll be moving on with.

There are as many reasons why relationships fail as there are relationships in the world, but only a handful of ways you can get an ex boyfriend back. If you're missing your ex, one of these three proven ways can help lure him back to your side.