I remember experiencing my first heartbreak last year and it hit me like a ton of bricks. No one really talks about the challenges and difficulties that comes with coming to terms after a heartbreak. I remember I cried a lot to my loved ones and had Ciara’s “I Bet” song on replay, like it was the anthem to all the heartbroken females.
Trying to find ways to come to terms with a broken heart came with trial and error. Here are some closure rituals for those who are going through a heartbreak:
1. Distractions
Distractions are great to an extent. It’s easy to isolate yourself and completely shut yourself out after a breakup and dwell on all the memories you shared with someone you cared so much for at one point. Distractions like staying busy whether it’s joining a club on campus or doing something completely out of your comfort zone are ways to distract yourself from stalking your ex’s social media. Checking on your ex to see how they are doing are never a great idea. Surround yourself with your friends and that may mean reaching out to that one friend you ditched for your ex at one point and even apologizing to her.
Write A Letter
Writing a letter to your ex can be extremely helpful. You don’t have to send it to them. I would suggest burning it or throwing it away. It is sometimes helpful to get those last words you want to say to the person out of your system, and a safe way to go about it is on pen and paper because I know how tempting it is sometimes to go on a complete rant on social media.
Travel
After my heartbreak, I made a bold to decision to back my bags, get a passport and travel for the first time on my own to Vancouver, British Columbia. My most memorable experience was when I rented a bike and took a nice stroll around Stanley Park, where I not only got to clear my mind, but gained a greater appreciation of life and learned a lot about myself as a traveler.Traveling is a great way to mend a broken heart.
Stay Active
It’s a a lot easier to buy a bottle of wine and devour a 48 piece of Ferrero Rocher box to yourself, guilty as charged, but dealing with the issue by consuming alcohol isn’t always the healthiest way to go about getting closure. Breaking a sweat whether it is through doing pilates, yoga, weight training, or jogging can come with great benefits to your overall self-esteem and body.
Seek Out New Hobbies
Putting your time and energy investing in yourself and into learning something new like hobby can be very helpful after a breakup. In doing so I now know how to ride a longboard and do a headstand. I have been able to test my mental and physical boundaries in a way that is very thrilling and beneficial to me.
Relationships and love are all great things to experience, but some comes with expiration dates and it’s important to know when to accept it, learn from it and move on. It’s one of those painful but normal experiences to go through at some point in life.