Break-ups can be difficult, for some more than others. Whether it’s years or months, you’ve built a connection and bond with someone and been there with them 24/7. It can be hard to no longer have contact with that person when that person was who you would go to for everything. Everyone experiences at least one bad break-up in their life; however, some people can handle the travesty of it better than others.
How can a break-up affect my mental health?
Depression and anxiety
Mood swings
Negative self-image
Stress
Fluctuation in weight
Insomnia
Identity crisis
Stalking behaviours
Impulsiveness
There are many ways that a break-up can affect you both physically and emotionally. However, it’s the length of these feelings you need to watch out for. It’s normal to be upset, heartbroken or angry after a break-up, although having these feelings for a prolonged duration can suggest that it is affecting your mental health and may cause further issues down the line.
Break-ups are not the end of the world, although it may seem like that right now. Everyone has different experiences with break-ups and coping mechanisms. Some people become angry and upset, whereas others may not show any emotion at all.
Why is self-care important after a break-up?
Self-care is essential in every aspect of life; however, it is very important to have good self-care after a break-up, especially if you are struggling with it. The most important thing is yourself. You need to focus on your own wellbeing and getting back to being you. Self-care helps you maintain peace and helps you to feel good about yourself both inside and out. Prioritising yourself is the most important thing after a break-up. Break-ups can really affect one’s physical and mental state, which is why self-care is so essential.
Self-care after a break-up is important so that you can be positive and caring to yourself. You are the person that can fulfil your own needs and you need to be there for yourself. Don’t be so harsh on yourself, everything happens for a reason, and this is your time to shine. Go do the things you love, spend time with your family and friends, have a break, but most of all, be kind to yourself.
How to look after yourself after a break-up
Incorporate self-care into your daily routine – Whether this is doing skincare such as facemasks, exfoliating or looking in the mirror and identifying something you love about yourself. Self-care can be many things.
Communicate – Talking to your friends and family when you are struggling is essential when going through a break-up. Don’t worry about being ‘annoying.’ Your loved ones will want to hear and help you when you are at your lowest. People care about you.
Write a diary – Keeping a diary is great for jotting down your thoughts and feelings and can help you get them off your chest. It’s for your eyes and your eyes only.
Make future – Make plans with your friends and family. This will help to have something to look forward to and be excited about.
Take a break from social media – After a break-up, social media can be your worst enemy. There is nothing worse than seeing your ex living their best life whilst you are struggling. It’s a vicious circle. Take some time to prioritise yourself and better yourself.
Try therapy/meditation – This is a great way to get your feelings straight and discover more within yourself. It’s very relaxing and can help you see things differently.
Give yourself time
It is ok to be upset and confused after a relationship ending. You may have spent most of your time and energy in this relationship, that the break-up is really affecting you both physically and mentally. Be as cliche as you want, watch a soppy movie, and eat ice-cream and cry. But don’t let these feelings overtake your entire life. Cry it all out and speak about it with loved ones. It can be hard to understand where to go from here on out, but with the right support and care, you will get better.
A break-up is like grief, it’s enduring the loss of someone that was important to you. Although it’s not to the same extent, it conducts similar feelings to grief. It’s hard to let go of someone you loved all the memories and plans you had for the future suddenly feels like a distant memory. It is difficult to try and move on afterwards, especially if you were involved in a long-term relationship, but things can get better even though it doesn’t seem like it right now, and it’s normally the last thing you want to hear because you don’t want to imagine life without them.
What are signs to look out for that your break-up is affecting your mental health?
Prolonged sadness – After a break-up you can develop depressive symptoms which will affect your health in the long run if not identified.
Drug and alcohol abuse – Many people turn to drink and drugs after a break-up to help them forget about it and make them feel numb. However, this is not a permanent solution and can result in many mental health problems and it is not good for your health in general.
Struggling to maintain a routine – This could be from not getting out of bed, showering, or just doing things you normally would on a day-to-day basis.
Low self-esteem – Break-ups can cause you to think negatively of yourself and question your worth. This can develop into serious mental health conditions.
Higher stress levels – You may start to overthink everything and get stressed a lot easier than normal.
Anger – Increased anger is normal after a break-up, but prolonged anger can be a sign of an impact on your mental health.
In conclusion, break-ups suck. However, we all go through it, and it is not the end of the world. As much as you feel lost and unsure of what to do now, take this time to focus on yourself, focus on your career and doing the things that you love. Make sure that you communicate your feelings and thoughts, and let people support you. Healing takes time, one step at a time.