T’is the season for breakups. According to Time magazine, winter is the most common time of the year for relationships to end. So, if you find yourself starting the semester single, but not yet ready to mingle, here are some tips on beating the breakup blues.
1. Text all of your friends.
And I mean all of them. Not necessarily to tell them that you’ve just gotten out of a relationship, but just to catch up with them. Old, new, and forgotten friends will help keep your mind off your ex and keep the loneliness that you’re undoubtedly feeling at bay. Surrounding yourself with people who care about you is one of the BEST things you can do for yourself.
2. Keep yourself busy.
Make plans with friends, pick up more hours at work, sign up for another class. Do whatever it takes to keep yourself from sitting at home alone thinking about the breakup because that will do nothing for you. The longer you sit around wallowing over your heart-break, the longer it will take to get over it. If you keep busy, you won’t have all that extra time to feel sad.
3. Make a resolution.
Whether your breakup ended with a cheating a**hole or the two of you simply grew apart, you learned something from the relationship. Use this to make a resolution about how you’ll act in future relationships so you don’t make the same mistakes twice. You probably learned a lot about yourself from the breakup as well. You could use this to make a resolution about yourself in general. Work on making a better you.
4. Try something new.
Now that you have some extra free time on your hands, you can use it to pick up a new hobby. Learn how to play a new sport, join a club on campus, learn how to play a new instrument. Trying something new will remind you that you can accomplish things on your own. You may even meet some great, new people in the process!
5. Go to the gym.
I don’t mean this in the “I’m single so I need to have a hot bod” type of way. Hitting the treadmill is probably the last thing you feel like doing, but it really helps. Exercising releases endorphins in your body which reduces stress. It actually makes you feel happier. The hot bod you might get in the process is just a bonus.
6. Create a Tinder account.
I know that sounds ridiculous and you’re probably not ready to mingle with anyone else yet, but it can be a real confidence booster. You can match with complete strangers but have no real commitment to start anything. It’s an easy way to distract yourself from feeling down.
7. Go shopping.
You’ve earned it. Buy that shirt you’ve been wanting. Buy clothes that make you feel good. Change your style up a bit. Right now is all about you, so you might as well spoil yourself a little.