7 Tips to Cope with a Breakup
Breakups are not easy. It is messy. There is so much hurt and confusion around ending a relationship. Both parties may feel defeated and experience symptoms of sadness or intense emotions.
Remember that even if the relationship was not great, it can still hurt to part ways. It is ok if it hurts because we are human. Feeling a sense of loss, anger, or disappointment is common.
However, we need to cope with breakups in a healthy way. I highly encourage that you avoid hitting the bar, or running into a one-night stand, or drown the feelings with drugs and alcohol. Learning to grieve a relationship's loss in a healthy manner can teach us how to be our best in the next relationship.
· OK, so what are some ways that we could mourn the loss of a break-up in a healthy manner?
Feel your feelings: the most common response to a breakup is a sense of anger, sadness, betrayal, and loss of hopes and dreams. Feeling empty is also a big part of it. Give yourself the space to feel your feelings in a healthy manner.
Surround yourself with friends and family. This is an important time in your life, and you need others to help you feel better. You need nurturing and kind people in your life. Avoiding those friends who are used to burying their emotions with drugs or alcohol is wise.
Pick up a hobby: do something that you always wanted to do. If you wanted to learn pottery, go for it, if you need to learn how to paint, sign up for a class. Engaging in expressive art is found to be therapeutic as you process your loss.
Stay active: it is really important that you keep up with your daily routine. You want to make sure that you are not isolating or engaging in poor self-care.
Limit Social Media: Limit yourself from social media that could trigger deep negative feelings. Often times seeing an ex’s pictures or their online updates can bring up a host of unpleasant memories tied to the relationship. Ask yourself if using Instagram, Facebook, or other platforms actually helps with the healing process.
Be kind to yourself: Whether it was you who ended the relationship or the other person, avoid self-blaming with the “what if” and “if only” thought processes. Give yourself the space and time to heal so you can move on.
Seek professional help: Therapy can be very helpful for breakups with a long dating history. It requires an in-depth exploration of what happened to us in the past years. If you realize that your breakup interferes with your work and social life. Seek professional help by seeking a therapist and other providers. Daily Uplift is a podcast designed to help you live with passion and purpose. It provides practical ways to improve mental health based on empirical research and therapy work. The episodes in this podcast do not replace seeking therapy for mental health purposes; rather, they are used as supplemental material to improve mental health. If you need therapy, please reach out to therapists in your area.
