7 signs that your ex will eventually come back

Unfortunately, men can be very good at sending mixed signals. Some say this is because of the way men and women handle breakups differently, even if they end on good terms. As TODAY Show style editor Bobbie Thomas says, "women break up harder, but men break up for longer".

In the process of getting over an ex after a break-up, a woman often allows herself to feel all her painful emotions, talk to close friends, spend time analysing what happened in the relationship and remember the good times. The process is extremely difficult, but it helps women to gain emotional clarity and to come full circle.

Men, on the other hand, are more likely to bury their feelings and apparently "move on".

For example, men may make a deliberate effort to start dating immediately. Thus, they will put off processing the break-up and the relationship until later. Frankly, your boyfriend may also not know whether he is really ready to move on or not.

According to a study by researchers at Binghamton University and University College London, stereotypes about the differences in the way men and women cope with break-ups are based on some proven truths.

"Women", according to the study, "experience more emotional pain after a break-up, but also recover more fully".

The study involved asking "5,705 participants from 96 countries to rate the emotional and physical pain of a break-up on a scale of one (none) to 10 (unbearable). They found that women tend to be more affected by breakups, reporting higher levels of both physical and emotional pain. Women scored an average of 6.84 in terms of emotional distress, compared to 6.58 for men. In terms of physical pain, women scored an average of 4.21 compared to men's 3.75".

"Although break-ups hit women harder emotionally and physically, they tend to recover more fully and emerge emotionally stronger. Men, on the other hand, never fully recover, they just move on.

Our society teaches women to feel comfortable experiencing and expressing feelings of sadness. A woman is expected to cry, share her heartbreak with friends and even go to therapy to deal with the pain of her broken heart.

Men are taught from childhood to "be men".

A man, even when he is suffering, is expected to appear strong and in control, and to retain his independence without asking for help. This is why men not only take longer to heal from heartbreak, but are also more likely to engage in destructive behaviour along the way.

Does all this mean that your particular ex-boyfriend will eventually come back? Not necessarily.

But if you miss him or her and want to get back together, here are 7 signs that your ex will eventually come back.

1. Already in a new (rebound) relationship.