Sheena was devastated. She wanted to get back together with ex boyfriend Peter. Peter had told her that he needed some “space.” He had said that he still cared for her but didn’t want to date exclusively any more.

What should Sheena do to get back together with her ex boyfriend? Should she call him and text him? Should she show up and flirt with his friends? Should she ignore him completely?

I am totally convinced that she should do none of these. Instead, she should listen to him.

He says that he loves her but that he needs space. While this may seem like a cliché, the truth is that many times when people use this line they really do mean what they say.

Sometimes a relationship just gets ahead of a person particularly where men are concerned. They may not be ready for the responsibilities a relationship carries. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t love their ex. In fact, they may love him or her too much and want to take a step back.

Given that this is the case, let’s take a look at what disastrous things can happen if you handle the situation badly.

For instance, if Sheena were to endlessly pursue Peter with calls, emails and texts, she wouldn’t be giving him the space he needed to get his head straight. Letters, gifts, and singing songs (like in Romeo and Juliet) under his window late at night would have the same effect.

One of Sheena’s friends suggested that she start flirting with all of Peter’s friends to make him jealous in an attempt to get back together with ex. This is a common recommendation because it is assumed that men will want what other men have. The problem is that by playing games now, Sheena would be jeopardizing her relationship in the future. And, there is a strong likelihood that Peter would just be angry at Sheena and push her even further away.

Another option Sheena considered was just ignoring him altogether. Maybe in some ways, because she was so hurt by Peter’s “rejection”, she wanted to punish him in turn.

But, if she is open and receptive but not pushy when they meet each other in social situations that are not contrived, she shows him what a wonderful woman and wonderful human being she is. She becomes someone that he wants to spend time with. She has allowed him to see her at her best.

Sheena has a number of options if she wants to get back together with ex. But, her best option is simply to listen to Peter. He’s said he needs space. So, she should give it to him. She should let him have the opportunity to decide whether to get back together.

My guess is that ex boyfriend Peter will come back to Sheena and he’ll be ready to take the relationship to the next level. If Sheena plays her cards right, she will have a stronger relationship overall.

That’s how I think she can get ex back into a healthy relationship.