It's never easy when a long-term, serious relationship comes to an end. Even the most amicable breakups bring a significant change to your routine and can create a lot of daunting questions about who you are and where you are in life.
Life changes and mental health issues go hand in hand. It's common for people to experience periods of anxiety or depression after a serious breakup. If you're having a hard time getting back on your feet after a relationship, you're not alone. Finding ways to take care of your mental health during your breakup is the key to healing, re-establishing independence, and bringing more happiness to your day-to-day life.
Negative emotions are part of every breakup. It's perfectly normal to feel angry, sad, or lonely. But when those feelings start affecting the quality of your daily life, there might be a deeper problem. For example, feeling nervous about going out to a party alone for the first time in a while is different than having a panic attack while you're alone in public.
Being able to recognize when negative emotions turn into serious mental health problems is important. Learning to identify anxiety triggers helps you work through debilitating feelings of panic or fear. Recognizing depression as a serious condition rather than mere feelings of sadness allows you to seek the help you need to work through this difficult time. Check in with yourself, and don't be afraid to reach out for support from friends, family, and mental health professionals when you need it.
Breakups bring serious change to your daily routine. It's hard spending what used to be date night at home alone. One way to care for your mental health during a breakup is to establish a new routine for yourself.
Include both big and small changes. Replace that weekly date night with a night out with friends. Make new goals at work or in your personal life to give yourself something healthy and rewarding to focus on. Even small practices like journaling before bed or going on a walk after work help create a dependable routine that allows you to prioritize yourself.
It's easy to turn to distractions after a breakup. You might binge-watch a show you've been meaning to catch up on, keep yourself busy with work, or start hanging out with friends more often. While these can be good reprieves, relying on constant distractions prevents you from truly processing your breakup and all the thoughts and emotions that come with it.
Allowing yourself to be alone and fully experience your emotions can be difficult, but it's a crucial step toward overcoming negative emotions and feeling happier and more confident as a single, independent person.
