Dealing with Sadness & Overcoming Emotional Stress Post a Heartbreak

At some point in our lives, we’ve all experienced a heartbreak. There’s literally no way to sugar-coat it. A heartbreak or breakup can feel like a physical blow to the system. Whether it’s the end of a romantic relationship or you find out that your special someone is cheating on you, a broken heart brings with it a lot of emotional baggage. When you’re in love, your brain triggers the release of “feel good” chemicals. Exactly the opposite happens when you go through a heartbreak. Your brain sends out a rush of stress hormones which bring with it various feelings such as rejection, hurt, anger and pain. Overcoming sadness post breakup can be difficult if you don’t get a grip on yourself.

How to Handle an Emotional Breakdown?

If you’ve experienced a heartbreak recently, follow our simple and healthy strategies that will ease the pain of a split and make you feel better.

What is an Emotional Breakdown?

An emotional breakdown is a period of severe emotional distress. During this phase, it becomes difficult for a person to function in their everyday life. Depending on the circumstance, the mental and physical health of a person is completely hit. If not tackled in time, it can even lead to severe depression.

What causes an Emotional Breakdown?

• Breakup/heartbreak
• Fights in a relationship
• Divorce
• Anxiety and depression
• Domestic violence
• Infidelity
• Partner not reciprocating your love

Coping Mechanisms to Overcome Sadness & Depression Post a Heartbreak

• Acceptance is Key

The first step to getting over a breakup is accepting things the way they are. It won’t be easy but it will give you the strength to move on. At first, you might even be in denial that your relationship has ended. You might even fantasize the idea that you can get back together. These thoughts are going to take you nowhere. Therefore, accept the breakup gracefully.

• Let go of things that remind you of your Ex

When getting over a breakup, an important thing you should be doing is letting go of anything that reminds you of your ex. Holding onto things will make it difficult to heal from a heartbreak. Start by removing your ex’s picture from your room. If you have any of their clothing items, take it out of your wardrobe. The goal is to remove all reminders of them from your home.

Of course, you don’t need to burn their belongings or deal with the situation in an aggressive manner. This will only cause more pain. Instead, put everything away in a box. Besides tangible reminders, you might even encounter your ex on social media by way of memories and constant notifications. The last thing you’d want to see is your ex with a new partner. Thus, remove your ex from all your social media accounts. Hit the unfollow button, and you’ll feel a lot better. It will also help you resist the temptation of checking their profiles often.

• Hang out with your friends

Post a heartbreak, you might just want to curl up in bed, listen to sad songs and completely shut out the outside world. However, this can only add to your sorrow. If your friends call you to catch up over a drink, to get your nails done or go see a movie, don’t turn down those offers. Research shows that hanging out with peers can help you fight stress and make you feel less lonely. Finding a support system is a fool-proof way to deal with a broken heart.

• Try Yoga or meditation

Yoga teaches you to focus on the present moment. The best way to get over your ex is by sweating it out or practising mindful meditation. When you work-out, the body produces a feel-good hormone known as endorphins. This will help you deal with the withdrawal symptoms post-breakup. Even if you’re not into exercise, try to cultivate good wellness habits. This will help you during this phase and be with you lifelong.  

• Write down your feelings in a journal

Post a breakup, people generally want to vent. This makes one feel a lot lighter. Just when you feel a situation is starting to overwhelm you, buy a journal. Since your emotions are likely to be at its peak, you can literally speak your heart out in your journal. Try it and you will definitely see your worries fade away.

• Seek professional help or see a therapist

To overcome emotional stress, consider seeing a therapist or psychologist. In your head, you might have a lot that you would want to unpack emotionally. Since they are experts, they will guide you through various steps that will help you move forward properly. Don’t bother about what your friends or family would say. Seeing a therapist will also help you take care of your mental health.

• Stop over-analysing the situation

Whether you dumped the person or got dumped, just let go of the situation. Maybe you did your best but as they say, “every relationship has a shelf-life”. Be kind to yourself and stop over-analysing the situation. If you’re going to replay every detail, thought and conversation in your mind, you’re going to get nowhere. Just tell yourself repeatedly that this is the way it was supposed to happen.

• You can date again

Dating again may be the last thing on your mind, but hey, it might just make you feel better. We don’t mean you need to date the next day of your breakup. Give it a few days, and be open to meeting new people. You can even ask your friends to introduce you to their friends who are single. Honestly, this can significantly help you deal with post-heartbreak depression.

No matter what the nature of your breakup was, it’s important that you leave the past behind and move on. The way you make yourself feel entirely depends upon you. The heartbreak phase is usually a delicate one. There may be days when you’re happy, there may be days when you’re sad. However, finding a balance is important. We hope our coping mechanisms and strategies do you good.