Breakups SUCK. There’s no getting around it. Even if you WANT the relationship to end, on some level, they still suck. You feel like you’re losing a chunk of your life. The time you spent on the other person feels wasted. The love you shared feels pointless.
It doesn’t matter if you wanted the relationship to end, or not, breakups suck.
Here are some tips to help keep your mind off your breakup.
Was there something you used to do that you don’t anymore? Maybe it’s time to pick that hobby back up. Bring yourself back to a place that existed before your relationship.
No matter if your relationship was good or bad, we all give up things during the course of our relationship. We may do it intentionally, we may do in unknowingly. Maybe you just don’t have time for it anymore. There are plenty are reasons you may have given up an old hobby.
Pick it back up. You’ll thank yourself later for doing something you love again. Keep your mind off your breakup and do something fun.
Just find SOMETHING. It doesn’t matter what you do. Take up woodworking. Start learning how to cross-stitch. Maybe you could learn how to sew quilts. Paint a picture.
When I was trying to distract myself recently, I found some wooden letters and made words that meant a lot to me. I chose to pain ‘hope’, ‘peace’ and ‘safety’. I choose an ocean colored theme, used glitter paint in three different shades, picked the order I wanted the words to go in and painted them progressively different colors. As if I were looking out on the ocean. Water has always been my favorite place to go, so this seemed like a great idea to bring the ocean to rural Minnesota.
This is my favorite way to keep your mind off your breakup. Create your own world. Create your own characters, your own places, your own events. Create bonds, relationships, and special events. Give them a life and a family. Take your mind off your own life for a while and put it into someone else’s. It’s a great distraction. I adore writing (obviously!) so I find it a great way to distract me from my problems and my stresses.
Give it a shot. You never know what you might come up with. Maybe it’s your calling!
Get in the car and drive. If you’re like me, you’re incredibly directionally challenged and getting in the car and driving could be an all-day adventure because you don’t know where you’re going. You could end up in Timbuktu for all you know. It’s an adventure!
Dig through Pinterest and find a new hobby. Pick out something you know you can do that’s going to be fairly simple and won’t drain your finances. You want something that will help distract you, not bankrupt you.
For example, after my divorce, my best friend bought me a candle making kit. It was something that I’d always wanted to try but had never gotten around to doing. It turned out to be my new love. I even sold them through my old business for a while.
Burn some calories! There’s no better way to get back at someone for dumping you than to get into fabulous shape, whether that means dropping some pounds, gaining some pounds, or just toning up. Working out is scientifically proven to release happy filled hormones. You feel good when you get done with a workout. You’re sore as hell, and you probably can’t breathe, but you FEEL GOOD. Jump in and get in a badass workout!
Has there been a book sitting on your shelf that you’ve been dying to read, you just haven’t had time to do so yet? Well, now you do. Give yourself some time to heal and get lost in a good book.
I know for me, that reading is something that helps me disappear for a while. I can get lost in a book…losing track of time and place for a while. Reading is one of the best ways for me to forget my world for a little while.
Adult coloring blew up several years ago and there are books everywhere for adults to color. Whether you enjoy coloring mandalas, nature scenes, or swear words, there is a coloring book out there for you.
Take some time to slow down and just color. Bring back the innocence of childhood. Forget your troubles for a while and keep your mind off your breakup.
I mean, REALLY clean your house. Don’t just pick it up, sweep and run a vacuum over your carpet.
Dust. Do the dishes. ALL of them. Wash the bedding. That’s right, I said to wash the bedding. I know it smells like your lost partner, but do it anyway. Wash the clothes you have lying around. Takedown all the memories. The longer you let that scent linger and the longer those memories hang on the wall, the longer you’re going to think about them.
This is a great time to hang out with your friends even more (If it weren’t for this stupid Coronavirus plaguing the world right now!) Normally when you’re dealing with a breakup, that’s the best time to hang with your girls. They’re the ones who are going to support you the most. Trust me, they’ve been holding in some serious roasts for that man.
The fabulous thing about friends, though, is that if the roasting isn’t what you’re in the mood for, they’ll be the shoulder you can cry on if needed. Friends are the best.
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