Sometimes, despite a couple's best efforts, a relationship can end up going awry. People can end up calling it quits for legitimate reasons, or just splitting up after a heated argument. No matter how or why your relationship ended, you can figure out how to win an ex boyfriend back by looking at a few easy Dos and Don'ts.

- Do analyze why your relationship went downhill. This is more to help you build a better relationship in the future than anything else. You can't go back in time and fix what went wrong, but you can help prevent problems later on.

- Don't beat yourself up over your mistakes. One of the most important tips for how to win an ex boyfriend back is to release the anger you probably still have lingering from the breakup itself. Most couples split up in the midst of some kind of argument, which can end up in a lot of residual negativity.

- Do look at what you can do to help improve your life, with or without your ex. You might feel like the breakup has sapped all of your energy, but it's important to keep going. Making small changes to your lifestyle can help give you a new lease on life.

- Don't try to become a facsimile of what you think your ex wants. Your ex wanted you. Even if he doesn't think he wants to be with you right now, turning yourself into someone else isn't going to guarantee that he'll feel any differently. You'll just end up feeling insecure and unhappy.

- Do understand that how you feel inside is reflected in how you look outside. If you're relaxed and happy, you'll project that onto people around you. The second most useful tip for how to win an ex boyfriend back is to stay happy and hopeful, even when you aren't. Your ex will realize he feels happier around you, and become desperate to know what the secret to your happiness is.

- Don't try to show or tell your ex how hurt the breakup made you. At first blush, the reasoning behind that might seem sound-- if he ever really loved you, he'd feel bad and want to make you happy again. In reality, radiating that kind of pain and negativity will just send him running far away.

- Do be ready to move on to another relationship, even while you're trying to figure out how to win your ex-boyfriend back. This isn't a safety net for in case your plan doesn't work-- it's to ensure that you're really working on building a new relationship with your ex, not falling back into the same relationship that didn't work the first time.

A breakup can leave both men and women out of their right minds, and prone to making a lot of mistakes that make getting back together impossible. Don't succumb to your first instincts. If you follow the Dos and Don'ts listed here, you'll fully understand how to win an ex boyfriend back without running the risk of ruining everything between the two of you.