Dear Broken Heart, You Will Survive

Here’s an unfortunate truth: By and large, humans are pretty bad at relationships. Sure, we do relationships well enough that the world keeps spinning, but when it comes to deep, personal relationships it’s pretty inevitable that we’ll all encounter heartbreak at some point. (And yes, I’m mostly talking romantically, but the principle applies to basically any sort of close personal relationship.)

There are no perfect guidelines to navigating the fallout from failed relationships. Relationships are a bunch of trial and error to begin with, so we shouldn’t expect them to be any easier when they end. What matters, though, is that we don’t become the proverbial insane person, trying things the same way over and over and expecting something to change. That’s a good way to get really, really hurt emotionally.

So it’s important to ask ourselves when we’re confronted with the end of a relationship: How do you handle the heartbreak in a way that will help you heal and grow?

Give yourself time, and as much of it as you need.

There is no official timeline for getting over a breakup, so don’t rush yourself. Focus on self-carein this time. Give yourself the treatment you need and be patient with yourself. Many well-meaning friends might say to move on by finding someone new right away; instead, try taking time to be with yourself. We can learn so much about ourselves when relationships end.

Trust your instincts.

You know best what you need to heal your heart. Everyone has a different method (one they’ll probably offer you unsolicited), but you know what resonates with your heart. Maybe for you the best way to heal comes with creating a physical change to match the emotional change, like getting a haircut or color. Even something small like this can help you feel in control, as well as boost your confidence.

Try spending time with your family. If they don’t live near you, take the time to visit them. Visiting your roots can help ground you in a difficult time. Or take a trip by yourself to clear your mind. Maybe there’s somewhere you’ve been wanting to go but have been waiting for the right time. Now’s that time.

What matters, though, is that we don’t become the proverbial insane person, trying things the same way over and over and expecting something to change.

Make room for processing the relationship.

If you need to grieve for the relationship, then grieve. Feel the emotions of grief and don’t be afraid to encounter them and work through them. Putting on a “strong face” and just getting through it will not help you in the long run. When we shove our emotions down, we are just suppressing them instead of managing them. Chances are they will arise later with more vengeance, possibly in another relationship.

It is so important to allow yourself the time to process so that when you are ready for a new relationship you know you won’t carry previous hurt and loss into it. Unresolved old relationships can poison new ones that would have otherwise been beautiful.

Do you see anything that needs to change?

This question can be tough but should not be skipped over. Once you’ve given yourself some time, some self-care, and have begun to process the relationship, it’s important to honestly evaluate for yourself.

Were you treated well in this relationship? If not, did you recognize it when it began? How can you protect yourself better next time?

What did you learned from the relationship? What parts of life were you ignoring before it? How are you wiser now?

It can feel weird to think through the positive and negatives of relationship that was important to you in such a straightforward, mechanical way, but it can help you move forward confidently in your next relationship.

Work through the hurt in order to learn from it and be able to be open again. Don’t allow the pain to close you off to others. It’s easy to develop a false-belief during a breakup that says, “There’s no one better out there.” It can lead you to questioning the path you’re on, but it’s not true. Our paths might be marked by heartbreak, but they don’t have to be defined by it.

Source:http://darlingmagazine.org