How to Not Stress over a Breakup

Go out with your friends. * Remember friends ALWAYS make you laugh. If you want to get over it, you have to be with your friends so they can help you forget about it and make you feel better.^[1]

Write out your feelings on a piece of paper. (It always helps.)^[2]

Do not become his/her friend UNLESS you are truly And completely OVER HIM/HER!^[3]

Erase all the little notes and messages he gave you or left on your phone. Erase his phone number. There is no sense in having it anymore if you want to make a true, finished, clean break.^[4]

Get it all out. 'Cry, scream and feel sorry for yourself'. Wallow in self-pity. However, one day while you are wallowing you will suddenly say, "Hey I don't feel like wallowing anymore today. I feel better." And the next day you will feel better and each day after that you will feel even better. Soon, something amazing happens, you rediscover your smile and actually laugh at who you were back then. Suddenly you are thankful for what the experience taught you.^[5]

Find some words of wisdom and live by them. A great piece was posted here on the Breaking Up is Hard to Do board a while ago. I kept it, and I read it every morning when I sit at my desk. The first line is, 'Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb you.' For me, that has worked! Reading a simple little piece someone posted has made such a great impact on how I view it all. It does get better, and within a couple of weeks, the hurt goes away.

Think positively. If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don't. Success begins with your own will. It's all in your state of mind. Life's battles are not always won by those who are stronger or faster. Sooner or later the person who wins is the person who thinks he can!^[6]

Never be ashamed of your feelings. In the beginning of a break-up, you might want to show people that you are fine. This might cause you to go out and act as though you are moving on full swing. You might even start dating immediately. If the relationship meant a great deal to you then you are going to need time to mourn the loss of it. Never assume you need to apologize for feeling bad about your new path in life. As a relationship ends, you will need to grieve. Take time to get past the emotions of anger, sadness, and loss. Once you can accept where you are and that the relationship is in the past, then maybe you are ready for a new relationship.

Start a new hobby or pastime. This will let you concentrate on something new and interesting and get you out of the circular thought process you may or may not develop, thinking about your ex too much.