Six and a half weeks. By now many people find the breakup isn't the first thing they think about each morning. It's still there, but it has moved from the centre of the day to somewhere off to the side.
This stage tends to be about routine. The habits you built to avoid texting them, like evening walks, a check-in with a friend or a new playlist for the commute, slowly stop being coping strategies and start being just your life.
Setbacks you might hit around now
Six weeks is long enough for the calendar to throw something at you. A birthday, an anniversary, a holiday you'd planned together. You might hear news about them through friends, or run into them somewhere. These moments can bring a rush of feeling that seems out of proportion.
It helps to plan for the dates you know about. Arrange to be with people, keep the day busy, and decide in advance that you won't send a "happy birthday" message. For the surprises, give yourself a day to feel rattled before deciding anything.
If they reach out
Exes do sometimes get in touch around this point. You don't owe an immediate answer. Wait at least a day. Reread your reasons. Ask yourself what you want from a conversation, and whether replying moves you toward it. Not replying is also a complete answer.
Notice what you've gained
Make a short list of things you've done in the past six weeks that you might not have done otherwise. Maybe you saw an old friend, started sleeping better or made a decision on your own. These are easy to overlook when you're focused on what you lost.
Social media, again
If you muted or unfollowed them early on, you might be tempted to look now that you feel steadier. Before you do, ask what you hope to find. If the honest answer is reassurance that they're unhappy, or proof they miss you, it's probably better to wait.
A quieter kind of missing
Some people find that by now they miss the idea of having someone more than they miss this particular person. That's a useful thing to notice. It means the hole is less shaped like them than it used to be.