Heartbreak can occur for many reasons. Sometimes you love someone who can never love you back. Sometimes a beautiful though ultimately impossible relationship comes to a sad but necessary end. And sometimes a person who made you feel supported and cherished suddenly takes that love away. No matter how it happened, discovering how to get over heartbreak can often feel like an impossible quest. Something you desperately want to be rid of but suspect you never will. I know because I’ve been there and found my way through all of that incredible pain and sadness, and I am now grateful for that healing journey.
If you’re reading this and someone has broken your heart, I want you to know that I’m so sorry you’re going through this. You don’t deserve the pain you’re experiencing. I promise you, you are strong and, no matter how lonely or abandoned you’re feeling right now, you are very loved by many people. Your future happiness does not depend on this person who hurt you, and one day, this pain will pass. Until then, this blog is my love letter to you, with all the things I have discovered through learning how to get over heartbreak.
There’s a lot of work to do further down the line to fully process what happened between yourself and this other person. But for now, here are some essential things you need to do to help get started on this journey. So, be really kind to yourself and know that one day you will look back and appreciate all the care you gave to yourself right now.
Fill your ears with empowerment
If you’re anything like me, at first you’re probably going to torture yourself by playing music that reminds you of the person who broke your heart on repeat. Songs you both loved, songs you had sex to, songs about losing love, losing hope, losing your dignity. Go on, play them. Have a big bloody cry. Then switch those songs off for good.
What you’re going through now is hella painful, but also universal. There’s a tonne of music out there about getting over heartbreak and no matter what your thoughts on pop are, it’s perfect for getting you motivated, angry and ready to be done with this person for good. Unfortunately, most of this music is pretty heteronormative and almost exclusively about women getting over men. However, I do think Lizzo’s Soulmate was made for everyone. Hence why I have created this empowering breakup songs playlist of music to help you get over your heartbreak.
I highly recommend taking this one step further by getting your friends together for a night of karaoke where love songs are banned, and the playlist is strictly empowering break-up cheese. You can cry, you can scream, you can sing Whitney’s It’s Not Right But It’s OK three times if you want and your BFF can serenade you with Mariah’s Hero at the end. I promise it’s exactly what you need.
Allow yourself to be held
Heartbreak is physically painful. You can feel it in your chest, hence the name. That’s why you need the healing power of physical touch right now.
One of the most surprising things I discovered about my heartbreak experience was how transformative the touch of other people can be. I don’t mean a quick hug or shoulder squeeze. I mean having people hold you while you cry. Stroke your hair while you watch TV. Spoon you while you talk about how you’re feeling.
Don’t be afraid to ask your friends, family or other partners for what you need now. Often the people who love you are unsure how to help, so this is one of the easiest things they can do to ease your pain.
But don’t have sex with anyone new
There’s a charming saying that goes ‘the fastest way to get over someone is to get under someone else’ — but trust me, this isn’t true. You’re probably feeling rejected, unloveable and very emotionally raw, so now is not the time to go looking for someone new.
Dating apps are the worst place to be when you’re vulnerable, and it’s important to remember that you’re also not being fair to anyone you connect with. You’ll probably mess them around, and you don’t need to attract more bad dating karma in the future. Even if it’s just a hook-up, you’re going to spend the whole time having sex while thinking about the person who hurt you. Even worse, you could start crying.
So, don’t do it. Give yourself space and time to heal. Save the new sexy fun times for when you’re actually ready to enjoy them.
Unfriend them
Let me guess, they don’t love you anymore but still want to be ‘friends?’ Or they’ve ghosted you but now won’t stop watching your Stories and liking anything you post on Facebook? Time for them to go.
No matter what the circumstances were that allowed this person to break your heart, you need them to give you a whole load of space. There’s no way that you can get past this heartbreak if they’re just going to keep popping up digitally and reopening that wound. At the very least, you need a couple of months of space, everywhere — especially online.
Do yourself a favour and unfriend them on all social channels. This person isn’t going anywhere, so none of this is in any way permanent if you don’t want it to be. If you’re worried about unfriending them, then change your social media settings so that they can’t see your Stories or posts and you can’t see theirs.
I also use Blocksite when I want to stop myself from looking at someone’s Instagram profile/Spotify playlists etc. It’s a Chrome extension for blocking websites, but you can also use it to block apps on your phone and remove any future temptation to torture yourself.
Having space to process, away from their updates and watchful eyes, is one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself during this time.
Sit your ass down and meditate
When the pain of heartbreak tears through you, it can leave you feeling extremely raw and vulnerable. If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably try to push all of those emotions down, get on with life and be resilient — but that’s one of the worst things you can do.
Right now, there is only one relationship you need to work on, and that’s the one with yourself. Don’t fear your feelings but make space for them. Listen to them and learn to love yourself. This is where a daily meditation practice can help.
If you’ve never meditated before, start with something simple. I’ve found Sarah Blondin’s short but soothing guided meditations on Insight Timer to be a great introduction. Download the app, find a quiet spot and listen to her talk you through healing, acceptance and transformation for 10-15 minutes each day. It’s ok if it makes you cry — let it out and keep listening.
I also enjoy using the timer section on the app before or after the guided meditation so I can tune into my inner voice. It helps enormously, especially when your heart is in pain.
Delete their number (or give it to a trusted friend)
You need to be strong and not contact the person who broke your heart for a while.
I recommend at least a month, but ideally, six months at a minimum. Easier said than done when you’re feeling vulnerable and rejected. Maybe you think they’re just waiting for you to reach out, beg them to reconsider, and tell them that you still love them. Wrong. Don’t contact them, especially like this. It’s humiliating, and you’ll regret it later.
So, if you can’t resist the urge to message the person who hurt you, then my friend recommends deleting their number. Wipe it completely, so you have no way of contacting them, especially when you’re drunk, feeling low or (my personal Achilles heel) on your period.
Having no contact with someone is especially difficult if you’re experiencing New Relationship Energy. If you’ve only been seeing this person for a few weeks or months and have fallen for them very quickly, your brain is probably pumped full of chemicals that are making you addicted to the person who hurt you. So, it’s especially important that you get help with this.
Give this person’s number to a trusted friend who won’t give it back to you until after an agreed time. Then every time you’re struggling, even if it’s every day, you can message that friend instead.
Don’t isolate yourself
It’s important to spend time with yourself now — processing, crying, journaling, meditating and doing whatever you need to do. However, it’s also important that you don’t become isolated.
Even though your heart is broken, you are not alone. You don’t have to go through this by yourself, and there are people who love you and want to support you. I recommend making plans to see someone from your support network every second day for at least the first couple of weeks.
This strategy gives you time to process on your own and time to process with people who love you. You need other people to talk things through, be held, be supported, laugh, cry, get angry, whatever you need. Let people be there for you.
Be mindful of your other partners
If you’re polyamorous, this can be a tricky time to navigate with your other romantic partners. You’re devastated about what has happened and need space, hugs and time to process.
At the same time, you don’t want to go blowing up everything with the other people you love. So, it’s important to be mindful of the way that you’re interacting.
I recommend sharing Multiamory’s How to Support Your Partner Through a Break-Up podcast (episode 128) with them, so they understand how to be there for you and themselves through this process. Also, listen to it yourself. A little self-awareness will go a long way right now.
Let yourself grieve
This is probably one of the best tips a friend gave me. When some or all of your romantic hopes and dreams have been dashed by heartbreak, it’s important that you let yourself grieve the relationship you lost and the future you envisaged.
Part of that pain you’re experiencing is because you’ve lost something you valued. Experiencing heartbreak is apparently very similar to experiencing the death of a loved one. Shock, denial, pain, guilt, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance and hope are common emotions to experience as you move through grief.
So, give yourself time to process these stages so you can move on.
Wipe them out
Getting rid of everything — and I mean everything — is the classic way to deal with heartbreak simply because it helps. Not only are you ridding yourself of all the reminders of this person from your life but the experience of throwing things away can be incredibly cathartic. I recommend doing this as soon as you feel up to it. The sooner, the better. When you’re angry is the best time as you’ll be extra ruthless.
Firstly, clear all your What’s App/text/app chat history (especially voice notes) so you won’t be able to torture yourself by going through these again in the future. Delete any and everything digital — emails, playlists, photos, and videos. Wipe it all and make sure you clear the trash for all these files as well, so you can’t go find them again next week when you hit a low moment.
Next, get rid of everything physical that reminds you of them, be it Valentine’s Day cards or concert tickets. If it’s something that you can’t bear to throw in the bin, then give it away. Books and clothes can be given to charity, and plants can be given to neighbours. The last thing you need to do is be reminded of this person in every room of your house.
If you still have things that belong to the person who broke your heart, get your friends to do a hostage-style handover for you. You need to get their stuff out of your life ASAP. Plus, your friends can get your stuff back as well — without you having to see them.
If there’s anything you want to keep then put it in a box, give it to a friend and make them promise to hold onto it for at least a year. Sometimes, you may even need two years, and if they’re a good friend, they will understand why.
Talk to a therapist
There’s never a better time to start seeing a therapist than when you’ve had your heart broken. You’ll be relying on your friends A LOT during this time, and if they truly have your back, they’ll be there for you to help with everything I’ve suggested above. However, you should also get professional help too.
Not only will a therapist listen to you talk endlessly about the person who broke your heart but they will be able to guide you on your way to recovery. It’s also important not to underestimate the effects of what you’re going through. According to the mental health charity Mind, experiencing events that make you feel humiliated, rejected or abandoned can be traumatic. It’s also natural to experience depression or anxiety as a result of heartbreak. So, it’s important to receive the support you need at this time and for as long as it takes to heal.
Although therapy is often expensive and takes time to arrange, in most countries, you can access free or emergency counselling. Google it, ask your friends and reach out to charities to find out what services are available. Alternatively, try an online therapy platform like Talkspace. It’s apparently a very speedy way of accessing a therapist and might cost less than an in-person session.
Remember your worth
If someone has acted carelessly with your heart then it’s important to focus on making the best choices for yourself. No matter how much you don’t want to hear this now, I promise you that this person doesn’t genuinely care.
They’ve shown that they don’t respect you and by letting them come back, you’re showing them that you don’t respect yourself either. They will, without any shadow of a doubt, hurt you again.
So, move forward and don’t look back. You are worth so much more than this.
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