10 Healthy Ways to Get Over a Breakup
By Chris Brown
Breakups can be rough, no question about it. However, they can also be, in retrospect, a miraculous opportunity for self-improvement. There are both healthy and unhealthy ways to continue after heartbreak. Below are 10 of the most positive ways to move on from a relationship healthily and build momentum for the next stage of your life.
Allow a grieving period - Don't rush to move on. A breakup naturally elicits emotions that need to be expressed. Pressuring yourself to get past a relationship before you are ready will simply delay the inevitable breakdown. So work through the grief period first with a few days of movies, chocolates, and self-pity before starting a healthy recovery.
Don't hyper-analyze your relationship - Ruminating on the relationship is an easy way to generate unhealthy obsessive thoughts and lengthen the grieving period, preventing healthy growth.
Indulge in nostalgic interests - Revisiting passions once lost may bring you to a pre-relationship time and healthily elevate your mood.
Take a social media break and focus inward - Social media breeds feelings of inadequacy that aren't good for mental health, especially during emotionally vulnerable times. Plus, there's always the risk of seeing a photo of your ex. Instead, stay off Instagram for a while and take an inventory of the things for which you are grateful.
Pamper yourself - Pampering yourself can provide the self-love that is needed following a breakup. Chiropractic can double as a pampering and self-improvement jolt for the broken-hearted soul. The Joint Chiropractic offers affordable, walk-in sessions to get you feeling good at a moment's notice.
Focus your energy on work or friendships - Refocus your energy and restlessness on something productive and positive like work or reconnecting with friends. Friends add much needed psychological support and focusing on work may improve future finances. This is a much healthier use of an overactive mind than stewing about your ex.
Aerobic exercise - Aerobic exercise has been shown to naturally increase endorphins and allow people to see a more positive perspective to situations.
Start talk therapy - Talk therapy can help keep you on a healthy track, both in action and thought, following a breakup.
Volunteer - There is an adage that goes, "He who serves the most, reaps the most," which means an immediate way to feel better about oneself is to help others.
Plan to live your best life - When the inevitable depressions of a breakup hit hard, redirect that energy towards writing a five-year plan. After all, while ruminating on revenge is never healthy, the best revenge truly is a life well-lived.
Making it past a breakup can be a monumentally difficult task, but take comfort in the knowledge that it is one of the most universal human experiences and an opportunity for positive growth.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Bloomington, Minn.