When you’re mostly single your whole adult life, you’re most likely to have certain feelings when Valentine’s Day approaches. If you have a choice, you would want to stay home (shut all the windows and deactivate your social media accounts for a day) so you wouldn’t have to witness the amount of cheesiness in the air (Read: the ridiculously overpriced flower bouquet deliveries, the overly curated all-pink or all-red store windows advertising “for-him-for-her gifts”, the excessive declaration of love messages & “I-can’t-believe-my-boyfriend-surprised-me-with-this-and-that stories” in your newsfeed). All those fuss where everyone seems involved except you.
I’m over the stage when I’d roll my eyes over all those things— (Well, I still do, in secret, especially when I know that 364 days of the year you talk shit about your toxic relationship) but that is besides the point. No, I’m not bitter, I am just single and that’s what singles do— judge.
This post isn’t about being single on Valentine’s Day. Well, maybe, it is but it hits different when you were in a relationship and just recently broken up. It feels like Valentine’s Day only adds more insult to your injury. Heartbreaks hurt like a motherfcker, it feels like you lost a limb and you’re just, really very sad.
How do you cope? How do you survive it, you ask? Here below are the top 5 ways to survive a heartbreak.
1- Talk it out — alcohol is an option and karaoke too. Gather all your single friends, open a bottle of wine and sing your hearts out. Make a breakup playlist prior to your karaoke sesh— you may want to start with anything Adele or if you’d like to head bang, Avril Lavigne’s My Happy Ending is a good one.
2- The iconic Basha hair cut, shopping and tattoo— you know when a girl just recently got her heart broken because she glows! May it be a red lipstick, a Revenge Dress (ask Princess Diana) or a total make over. But it usually the hair that is most noticeable— from a waist-long beach hair to a complete pixie cut— why girls?! And for some who feels more worse than others: tattoos, you know just to feel all the pain and have a memory of how it hurt. Sounds masochistic but when you get over it you’ll just wear it proudly like a badge, it’s a war scar. How do I know? Well..😉
3- Get busy with work, reconnect with friends— surviving a heartbreak feels easier when you’re not sulking in your room all day and cry by yourself. It’s more bearable if you have something else to occupy your mind— get busy with work or talk to friends who you might have neglected because you were busy being in the relationship. Or, maybe it’s the opportunity to bond with your parents or siblings— talk about the breakup and I’m sure they’ll give you the most sound advise.
4- Fill your time with new hobbies & new routine— I can’t stress this enough. I know being in a relationship is great but it demands a lot of your time and effort. Juggling work, family and girlfriend duties could get in the way to finding the time to finally start a passion project. Start the candle- making idea or finally learn tennis or finish that painting that is gathering dust in the corner. You’d realize you’ll feel joy again on those things knowing you pour all your passions in it (well maybe it’s not comparable to a warm hug but it’s close).\
5- Fly out to a new city— if all the above options still do not work, maybe you need a new environment. You may choose to go on a short weekend trip or if the pain doesn’t go away because all the memories are engraved to all the places— it’s time to pack your bags and go. A new place, a new life.
Recall your most recent break up (not necessarily with a committed relationship, could be with someone you’ve grown feelings for but didn’t feel the same way about you), how did you survive the heart break?