Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAcknowledge Your FeelingsRemove Reminders of Your ExFind ClosureMake a List of Your Ex’s FaultsTake Care of YourselfConnect With Other PeoplePlan a Solo AdventureAccept That It’s Over

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Acknowledge Your Feelings

Remove Reminders of Your Ex

Find Closure

Make a List of Your Ex’s Faults

Take Care of Yourself

Connect With Other People

Plan a Solo Adventure

Accept That It’s Over

Close

We’ve all been there at one point in our lives—those awful days following the demise of a relationship when all you want to do is climb in bed, pull the covers over your head, and sob. After all,breakupssuck regardless of who ended things.

“Breakups are so challenging. They can signify a change in roles and routine, and even cause one to question their values or who they are,” explainsEvita Limon-Rocha, MD, a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente in Riverside, California. “Acknowledging your feelings and normalizing the variety of emotions experienced in this process is key in allowing yourself to heal.”

If you’re like many people, however, you probably don’t deal with breakups in the healthiest of ways. Maybe you resort to drowning your sorrows with food or drinks. Or, maybe you can’t stop blaming yourself for everything that went wrong. Whatever your current coping mechanisms, you’re probably wondering if there is a better way toget through this heartache.

To help you put the past behind you and move on, we made a list of eight things you can do right now to feel a little better and maybe help mend your broken heart.

While it’s only natural to want to feel better, you don’t want to suppress your feelings or deny they even exist. Part of the healing process is acknowledging how you feel andallowing yourself to grieve.

“It’s important to acknowledge your feelings of distress and grief after a breakup because it is a significant loss,” explainsErin Pash LMFT, CEO of Ellie Mental Health. “We don’t talk enough about losses that aren’t death. Ambiguous loss, like a breakup, is a loss that can often leave us searching for answers if we don’t take the time to work through the complicated emotions of ending a relationship.”

Evita Limon-Rocha, MDAcknowledging your feelings and normalizing the variety of emotions experienced in this process is key in allowing yourself to heal.

Evita Limon-Rocha, MD

Acknowledging your feelings and normalizing the variety of emotions experienced in this process is key in allowing yourself to heal.

This process is essential if you are coming out of a long-term relationship. Even if the relationship was fraught with issues, you might still feel like a part of you is missing.

Not taking the time to acknowledge your feelings and heal can create further problems. Sometimes, a traumatic breakup can trigger depression in some people or reignite a mental health issue.

Erin Pash LMFT, CEO of Ellie Mental HealthIf you don’t take some time to heal, depending on how big the wound is, it can bleed into your future relationships in unhealthy ways.

Erin Pash LMFT, CEO of Ellie Mental Health

If you don’t take some time to heal, depending on how big the wound is, it can bleed into your future relationships in unhealthy ways.

An Overview of Breakup Depression

When getting over a breakup, one of the first things you need to do is purge your house or apartment of all reminders of your ex.

“Sometimes people need to cut that person off for a period of time in order to heal. This might look like putting up firm boundaries, removing them from your social media, and making it clear to friends and family that you don’t want to talk about them until you’re ready to talk about it,” Pash notes.

Get Rid of Physical Memories

It is difficult to move on and heal from a breakup if you still have your ex’s picture on the nightstand or if you sleep in their old sweatshirt. It can be helpful to remove reminders of them from your home.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to burn their belongings, throw their stuff into the street, or sell everything they gave you, but you should at least box these items up.

Return anything that belongs to them if you want, or donate it to charity. The choice is yours.

But recognize that having reminders of your ex that are easily accessible is going to impede your progress. So, do yourself a favor and at the very least put it in storage.

Get Rid of Social Media and Digital Mementos

While you’re at it, you also should remove your ex from your social media accounts. Even though you may be curious about what they’re up to, receiving constant reminders through photos and posts will keep you stuck in the past. It also can be painful tooif you see your ex with a new partner.

So, as hard as it may be to do, unfriend and unfollow your ex as soon as possible. You may even want to block them from seeing your posts and updates. The fewer connections you have to one another the easier it will be to move on.

Sometimes cutting off all contact is not enough to help you move on. Sometimes, you need what people often refer to as closure. The key is that you find closure for the relationship in a healthy way.

In other words, having coffee together with your ex to talk or getting together as friends, even under the guise of finding closure, is unhealthy. We’ve all tried it, and it only leaves you with open wounds, crying alone in your car once again.

“Closure can be anything from talking through your feelings with friends to working through grounding skills that can ease some of the pain and provide growth and comfort,” says Pash

One way to find closure is to write a letter to your ex saying everything you didn’t get a chance to say. Just don’t mail it or send it to them. It is the process of pouring out your feelings onto paper that helps you bring closure to the relationship—not sending it to them and hoping they will read it and feel a certain way.

Plus, if you end up sending an emotional letter, you may end up regretting it later. There also is the chance that you will spend too much time wondering if they read the letter, what they thought about it, and if they will respond. Instead, write the letter more for yourself.

If you feel you need to share it with someone, consider having a trusted friend or your counselor read it.

7 Things to Do if You Feel Emotional

Too many times after a breakup, people dwell on all the things they will miss about their ex. Instead of remembering them as they truly were, they see only the good qualities—the things that they are really going to miss

Dwelling on what you’ll miss can be counterproductive to your healing. After all, if you want to move on, you need to remind yourself why the two of you are not a good fit. Take some time and write down everything that bothers you about your ex. Include big things and little things.

For instance, if your ex struggled withinfidelity, or wasn’t interested in discussing the future, remind yourself of those things and why it would have never worked anyway.

You can also include little pet peeves like having bad table manners or being a slob. This exercise will help you keep things in perspective as well as serve as a reminder as to why it’s better that you’re not together.

How to Start Dating After A Breakup

The key to feeling better after a breakup is rooted incaring for yourself. In other words, ensure you’re eating right, exercising regularly, showering consistently, andgetting plenty of sleep.

It also may help to pamper yourself a little bit, too. Consider getting a massage, a facial, or a manicure, especially if you think it will boost your spirits.

Hold off on making drastic changes, however. What might seem like a good idea today may be something you regret when you’re not feeling as emotional. Instead, focus on things that will make you feel better without doing anything irreversible or permanent.

“I would usually recommend finding some rituals that help people feel in a state of safety and calm when they are emotionally overwhelmed. These are usually good habits like deep breathing, going for a run, calling friends, or journaling,” Pash recommends.

Some self-care strategies you may find helpful include:

Even indulging a little can be a mood booster, like losing yourself in a good book and ordering takeout from your favorite restaurant. You could even treat yourself to a new outfit, a new pair of shoes, or the latest gadget. Think about things that bring you joy and try to incorporate them into your life.

Evita Limon-Rocha, MD, Kaiser PermanenteBreakups can be an opportunity for growth and self-exploration.

Evita Limon-Rocha, MD, Kaiser Permanente

Breakups can be an opportunity for growth and self-exploration.

Dr. Limon-Rocha also recommends focusing on gratitude practices. “Engaging in gratitude exercises can be a highly therapeutic reminder of what is going well. These gratitude exercises can help one live in the moment to help move past the breakup and focus on the present,” she explains.

Why the “No Contact” Rule Is So Important After a Breakup

While it may be tempting to hole up in your bedroom and wallow in self-pity, this is not a healthy response to a breakup. Instead, make a goal to connect with other people.

Take the time to call family and friends. Even reach out to spend time together. Never underestimate thepower of laughingand doing something fun with people who love and support you. Not only is it a great way to heal, but it also helps keep your mind off your ex.

You also should develop an emergency contact list of people you can contact during your moments of weakness. In other words, on those nights when you’re tempted to call your ex and ask about getting back together, reach out to someone on your emergency list instead.

Likewise, talking to supportive people about the breakup can be somewhat cathartic. So, ideally you have a friend or family member you can talk to. If you don’t, then consider talking to a counselor instead. The idea is that talking about your feelings with regard to the breakup will help you process your feelings and come to terms with what happened.

Just be sensitive to the fact that friends and family members may become fatigued if that’s all you talk about. So try to be a good friend in the midst of your crisis.

After spending time as a couple, it can be hard learning to be single again. And while the thought of doing something solo may seem a little daunting at first, it also can be extremely liberating too. Of course, you don’t have to plan an entire experience, but you should plan to get used to the idea ofspending time aloneagain.

Whether that means spending a relaxing evening alone, going on a hike in the mountains, or planning a short getaway, the key is that you get used to being alone with yourself. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas consider choosing something your ex would never do that you really wanted to do.

You will finally get the experience you wanted and it can feel cathartic to do something they would never agree to doing. It’s the perfect opportunity to make up for lost time. Plus, it might serve as a helpful reminder as to why you’re not a good match for one another.

Is a Rebound Relationship a Bad Idea?

While it’s tempting to hold onto the hope that you will reunite with your ex, the likelihood of that happening is slim in most cases. As a result, you need to accept that the relationship is over and that it’s time to move on.

If you don’t accept that things are over, you will be stuck in limbo, waiting and hoping your ex will realize the error of their ways and ask to get back together—most of the time, that does not happen.

Likewise, don’t spend much timeover-analyzing what you did wrongor how you could change to keep your ex around. While it’s a good idea to learn from your mistakes, constantly thinking about what you could or should have done will likely keep you in circles.

“A lot of people think closure can only come from asking the person all these intense questions about them and their relationship. While feedback can be a useful tool, most breakups come down to people just not being the right fit for each other,” Pash suggests. “I think that people often judge themselves too harshly for all the things they could have done differently when there is likely nothing wrong with them in the first place.”

Instead, learn what you can from the relationship, but keep moving forward. You are closer to healing and moving on with each step you take.

Recognize that your mission now is to accept that the relationship is over. Be patient with yourself, though. Healing after a breakup is not a quick fix. It takes some time for your heart to catch up with the reality of the situation. But you will get there as long as you keep working on it.

How Do You Get Over Someone You Never Actually Dated?

Keep in Mind

Whether you initiated the breakup or you were completely blindsided, it’s important that you put the past behind you and move on. How exactly you go about doing that is entirely up to you. The key is that you make a concerted effort to move on.

This doesn’t mean that you will handle every day perfectly, but as long as you are making conscious decisions to choose healthy options in your life, you will soon be feeling much better and your broken heart will have mended.

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gračanin A, Bylsma LM, Vingerhoets AJ.Is crying a self-soothing behavior?.Front Psychol. 2014;5:502. Published 2014 May 28. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00502Shaik S, Rajkumar RP, Menon V, Sarkar S.Gender, life events, and depression: an exploratory study.Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine. 2017;39(3):330-335. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.207339Brody N, LeFebvre L, Blackburn K.Holding on and letting go: Memory, nostalgia, and effects of virtual possession management practices on post-breakup adjustment.Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 2020;37(7):2229-2249. doi:10.1177/0265407520921460Additional ReadingBernstein MJ, Claypool HM.Social exclusion and pain sensitivity: Why exclusion sometimes hurts and sometimes numbs.Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2012;38(2):185-96. doi:10.1177/0146167211422449Golabchi A, Sarrafzadegan N.Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome: A review article.J Res Med Sci. 2011;16(3):340-5. PMID:22091255

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gračanin A, Bylsma LM, Vingerhoets AJ.Is crying a self-soothing behavior?.Front Psychol. 2014;5:502. Published 2014 May 28. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00502Shaik S, Rajkumar RP, Menon V, Sarkar S.Gender, life events, and depression: an exploratory study.Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine. 2017;39(3):330-335. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.207339Brody N, LeFebvre L, Blackburn K.Holding on and letting go: Memory, nostalgia, and effects of virtual possession management practices on post-breakup adjustment.Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 2020;37(7):2229-2249. doi:10.1177/0265407520921460Additional ReadingBernstein MJ, Claypool HM.Social exclusion and pain sensitivity: Why exclusion sometimes hurts and sometimes numbs.Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2012;38(2):185-96. doi:10.1177/0146167211422449Golabchi A, Sarrafzadegan N.Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome: A review article.J Res Med Sci. 2011;16(3):340-5. PMID:22091255

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Gračanin A, Bylsma LM, Vingerhoets AJ.Is crying a self-soothing behavior?.Front Psychol. 2014;5:502. Published 2014 May 28. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00502Shaik S, Rajkumar RP, Menon V, Sarkar S.Gender, life events, and depression: an exploratory study.Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine. 2017;39(3):330-335. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.207339Brody N, LeFebvre L, Blackburn K.Holding on and letting go: Memory, nostalgia, and effects of virtual possession management practices on post-breakup adjustment.Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 2020;37(7):2229-2249. doi:10.1177/0265407520921460

Gračanin A, Bylsma LM, Vingerhoets AJ.Is crying a self-soothing behavior?.Front Psychol. 2014;5:502. Published 2014 May 28. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00502

Shaik S, Rajkumar RP, Menon V, Sarkar S.Gender, life events, and depression: an exploratory study.Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine. 2017;39(3):330-335. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.207339

Brody N, LeFebvre L, Blackburn K.Holding on and letting go: Memory, nostalgia, and effects of virtual possession management practices on post-breakup adjustment.Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 2020;37(7):2229-2249. doi:10.1177/0265407520921460

Bernstein MJ, Claypool HM.Social exclusion and pain sensitivity: Why exclusion sometimes hurts and sometimes numbs.Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2012;38(2):185-96. doi:10.1177/0146167211422449Golabchi A, Sarrafzadegan N.Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome: A review article.J Res Med Sci. 2011;16(3):340-5. PMID:22091255

Bernstein MJ, Claypool HM.Social exclusion and pain sensitivity: Why exclusion sometimes hurts and sometimes numbs.Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2012;38(2):185-96. doi:10.1177/0146167211422449

Golabchi A, Sarrafzadegan N.Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome: A review article.J Res Med Sci. 2011;16(3):340-5. PMID:22091255

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