Rachael Kirkconnell Knows What She Wants in Next Boyfriend After Matt James Breakup: 'Figuring Out the New Normal'

Rachael Kirkconnell is taking her recent major life change in stride.

The 28-year-old had a volatile start to 2025 as she and her boyfriend of four years, former Bachelor Matt James, split following the holidays — a move that she said on Call Her Daddy came "definitely out of nowhere" following an argument during a trip to Tokyo.

Now, Kirkconnell is "still trying to grasp everything and figure out a new normal," she told Cosmopolitan.

Related: Why Did Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell Break Up? Inside the Former Bachelor Couple's Ups and Downs

"I don’t know if it’s shock, but I don’t think I’ve registered it still. It’s only been a few weeks," she said. "It’s easier said than done. Some days are easier than others, but I’m feeling okay."

Kirkconnell said she's been shifting her focus in the weeks since the split, which James, 33, announced on Instagram just hours after the fact, and is working on "telling myself that nothing matters as much as I think it does."

She's also been leaning on the women in her life for support amid the breakup, and revealed that many of the girls who competed alongside her for a shot at James' heart during season 25 of The Bachelor have been "very supportive."

"I think when you’re watching the show, it’s easy to forget that the women on each season spend so much time together that real friendships are formed," she said. "It’s just nice to know that even after all the years that have gone by, they’re still in my corner at the end of the day."

Related: Rachael Kirkconnell Had to Tell Ex Matt James to Stop Checking on Her After 'Shock' Breakup, Says He 'Regrets' Timing of Post

Her friends from outside Bachelor Nation have her back, too — so much so that some of them are heading to Las Vegas with her for a "last minute" Valentine's Day trip. "It just happened to work out, and I feel like it’ll be a great distraction."

As she's been thrust into the public eye more than ever before, Kirkconnell is also "working a lot on my self-confidence and feeling good about myself regardless of what others say or think about me."

"The biggest thing I’ve been doing, whether I’m rolling out of bed in the morning or getting ready, is looking in the mirror and instead of picking myself apart, telling myself, 'You’re beautiful, you’re a rock star, and you’re gonna have a great day.'"

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She also told the outlet what she'll be looking for in a future partner: "I honestly just want him to be a simp."

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