A bad breakup can be pretty damned devastating, especially if it was one of those relationships that you felt would last forever. Part of getting over a bad breakup includes reclaiming yourself and your life as your own. In order to fully get over it, you’re going to need to take back these things:
- Your sense of style. If you’ve been avoiding wearing certain items because your significant other hated them, now is the time to wear them proudly. Getting back to your original sense of style can help you put things in perspective and get rid of all the “urge to merge” you once had.
- Your stuff. If you left your stuff at his house, go and get it back. You paid good money for that stuff — you might as well keep it.
- Your dignity. A bad breakup has a way of annihilating your dignity in ways that very few things can. This one takes time — a lot of it.
- Your free time. Now that you’re single, you probably have more free time to do things you want. If you want to get in touch with the perks of being solo, just book an appointment to a spa or hit the gym. You’ll feel a lot better.
- Your body. Let yourself go in the last relationship? Be the ex he regrets dumping by getting that body back.
- Your cash. Ever notice how a really bad breakup also involves you losing a ton of cash? Ever notice how much money you spend on significant others? Reclaim that cash flow by starting a new, better budget for yourself.
- Your sense of normalcy. He’s gone now. Poof. He’s out of your life. This means it’s normal to miss him, hate him or just be weirded out by how strange life feels without a guy in your life. Take this time to actually learn to embrace a new normal. If it was an abusive relationship, reading articles on what is and isn’t normal may be able to help.
- Your bed. Toss out those old bed sheets. Throw your throw pillows in the laundry. Get that dried tear smell out. Trust me, it helps.
- Your social media accounts. They’re YOURS — not his to snoop through. Block him, get off of his friends list and just do a straight up purge. You’ll feel better afterwards and you’ll also be able to get over the breakup easier.
- Your favorite TV show. Everyone has that one show that they always watched with their significant other, and after a breakup, that show can feel tainted. It’s no longer the thing you two did together — it’s your favorite show. Don’t let a bad breakup ruin good TV for you. Enjoy it on your own, or grab some friends to partake with you.
- Your pets. Don’t let a douchebag keep Fido. Fido loves you. If you shared a pet, get that pet back if you haven’t already.
- Your friendship circle. Friendships can split up as a result of a breakup, especially if it wasn’t the most amicable one. Once the breakup happens, you need to go back and talk to your friends. Depending on how bad the breakup is, you might lose some friends. Do yourself a favor and find new friends to replace the ones you lost, or reach out to the ones you may have drifted apart from. It’s the best way to take back your life after a breakup.
- Your personal hangout. Just because you had a bad breakup doesn’t mean you should have to breakup with your favorite dive bar, after all.