If you have recently been through a bad break-up, here’s some advice for you. It can be difficult to get back on your feet after a split with someone that has been in your life for a long time. While everyone handles breakups differently, the experience is never easy. In order to heal from the emotional and physical pain of a break-up, it’s important to take some time off from dating and focus on yourself for a while.

It’s not uncommon for you to feel like the world is coming to an end when your significant other breaks up with you. You may experience thoughts and emotions that are all over the place. You may find yourself looking for signs your ex will eventually come back, which is perfectly natural and normal. The thing to do is make sure that you’re okay with yourself first. The good news is that there are plenty of things that can help get you back on your feet and feeling like yourself again. It might be hard, but these tips will help make it easier.

Here are five steps that you should follow if you’re going through a rough break-up:

Take care of yourself by doing activities that make you happy

It may seem impossible when you’re going through a breakup, but taking care of yourself is extremely important. Make sure that you are always keeping yourself busy and doing things that make you happy. Go out with your friends or family to turn it into an adventure instead of sulking at home alone where the only thing on your mind will be negative thoughts. You can also try yoga or meditation to help ease the stress of your hard time, which is proven to be very effective when you’re in distress.

If you find yourself thinking about what happened all day long and not enjoying anything at all because it reminds you too much of your ex, then stop doing these activities immediately.

Spend some quality alone time with friends or family

Talking to your family and friends can be very helpful when you’re feeling down. Having them around will make the experience easier for both parties because they’ll know exactly what you are going through, which is why it’s important that they help in making things better instead of worse.

When spending time with your loved ones, try not to talk about your ex too much. It’s very likely that they already know all about your breakup, so you have no need to repeat anything in detail unless it is absolutely necessary.

Focus on what makes you feel good about yourself

It’s never easy to find the silver lining after a breakup, but it is necessary for you to look at your experience as an opportunity that will help shape and transform you into the person that you were meant to be. You should focus on what makes you feel good about yourself because there are plenty of things out there waiting for you once everything goes back to normal. You can start this by surrounding yourself with better people and doing things that you normally love but have not been able to do recently because of your ex-boyfriend or -girlfriend.

Take some time off from dating for a while, as it will allow you the opportunity to find out who YOU are without having someone else attached to your identity.

Reach out for help when needed

When it comes to breaking-up with someone, there are no rules. You may find that you have more of an issue than others because everyone processes things differently. If you feel like your breakup is making it harder for you to function on a daily basis and not being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, then reach out for help.

Speak with a therapist, call your family and friends for support, or talk to someone who has gone through the same heartbreak you are experiencing right now. You can also attend group sessions where you will meet people in similar situations as yourself so that it’ll be easier to open up about what’s going on inside your head without having to feel embarrassed.

Takeaway

When you’ve had a bad break-up, it’s important to take care of yourself by doing things that make you happy. It can be hard when your mind is constantly on the other person and what they are currently doing in their life without you. You should try to spend some quality time with friends or family members instead of talking about the breakup all day long. Also, remember not to put pressure on yourself by trying new activities that might remind you too much of your ex-boyfriend or -girlfriend if that means nothing but negativity for you.

Ellen Diamond did her degree in psychology at the University of Edinburgh. She has an ongoing interest in mental health and well-being.