The distinction that matters
Work contact is about work. Personal contact is what you're limiting. The goal is to keep the work channel functional and professional while removing the personal content from it entirely.
This includes: not sharing life updates, not continuing old in-jokes, not processing the breakup through work conversations, and not treating work proximity as soft permission for contact that wouldn't happen otherwise.
Managing the physical reality
You're going to see them. That's unavoidable. What you can do: don't engineer unnecessary proximity, don't choose seating or scheduling around monitoring them, and don't linger after necessary interactions.
Having a polite, functional manner for work interactions decided in advance — not freezing them out to the point of disruption, but not extending anything beyond what's work-relevant — is cleaner than improvising each interaction.
Managing what goes on inside
The fact that you're around them doesn't mean the emotional processing happens publicly. Your journal, your private app, your trusted people — that's where this goes. Not visible from across the office.
Your recovery is private, even if the situation isn't.
No Contact 40 Days gives you a private tracker that has nothing to do with what anyone else can see.
Get the app — free to tryCommon questions
Does my streak reset every time I talk to them at work?
No — work conversations about work don't break no contact. The principle is about personal, emotional contact, not logistical or professional necessity.
Should I tell HR or management?
Only if there's a harassment or discomfort issue that warrants it — not as a routine step. Keep the professional and personal situations as separate as you can.
No Contact 40 Days is a personal-motivation and self-improvement tool. It is not therapy or medical or mental-health advice, and it is not a substitute for professional care. If you're struggling, please reach out to a qualified professional or a local support line.