It is sad. I am going thru the same thing right now. There is no escaping the sadness.
NM- don't pack up his stuff for him. He wants the D..let him sift thru all your memories along with you...it is painful. I have been crying for two days...brief..hard cries that come out of left field.
Start thinking about how you can make some changes to the house to make it feel like yours..instead of 'ours'. Maybe some new paint colors, add some plants, move the furniture around.
Keeping busy is a great thing...but allow yourself the opportunity to just cry. I admire all the women/men that are left caring for children while going thru this process. I can become a shut-in..eat ice cream 3x a day...and sit in silence while not at work...and it is still awful some days. It shows such great strength...putting others needs before your own...wearing a smile on your face when you just feel like crying. It should make you feel good.
Interesting article about the rebound relationship...I guess it depends on what issues existed in the R that you are exiting. If you haven't had time to reflect on them...you are just going to carry them over to the next one. If you haven't had time to heal from the previous R pain...something in the new R may trigger a stronger emotional reaction than what's warranted.
On the flip side, it is nice to have someone admire you and long for you after such a period of rejection...a companion..someone to share your day/life with. It is even nicer to be able to not have that and still feel good and satisfied.
