No Matter What You’ve Gone Through, This Is How You Can Fix Yourself

You went through a nightmarish dumpster fire of a situation and you made it out the other side. Congrats! Whether it was a breakup, drama at work, or ending a friendship, you’re bound to feel emotionally and physically spent right now. But don’t worry, you can effectively fix yourself and get your life back to the happy place it was before the BS took over your life — here’s how:

  1. Take a day off. You’ve officially earned a break. Take a mental health day just to slow things down and reset because if you’re already in a stressful place, then going into work and having more piled on will only make things worse. Break the cycle and take some time to chill. It doesn’t mean you’re not a responsible employee or that you’re slacking off; it means you care enough about yourself to practice self-care.
  2. Rest as much as possible. It sounds silly, but it’s true. Emotional turmoil can drain the hell out of your soul, and you’ll find that your head hits the pillow harder during tough times. Listen to your body. Without getting adequate rest, there’s way more of a chance that you’ll get ill, fall into depression, etc. Hard work is good for the soul, but so is sleep. Don’t skip out on it.
  3. Get a new look. Sometimes the best way to get over a painful period is to make a physical change. It could be changing up your wardrobe, dyeing your hair a different color, or working hard on a revenge bod. There’s nothing wrong with the way you look now, but sometimes changing things up is exactly what you need to boost your confidence and feel like a whole new you.
  4. Spend some real quality time with your BFFs. Your best friends are the family you got to choose. Lean on them right now because you know you’d do the same for them if the situation was reversed. They want to help you, and whether they make you laugh or give it to you straight with brutally honest feedback, they’ll make you feel way better and remind you of the best parts of yourself.
  5. Eat the cupcake. Stop looking at the cupcake and just eat it already. Also? Don’t undercut the joy a cupcake brings by immediately promising to work out later or saying how you’re “so bad” for eating it all. You’ve earned it because you decided to eat it. That’s it. Sometimes treating yourself to something delicious just because can do a ton to boost your mood.
  6. Give yourself a little luxury. Whether it’s planning a solo vacation, giving yourself a spa day, or even just buying a bottle of high-end bubble bath – treat yourself to something splurge-y right now. It’ll instantly improve your outlook on life.
  7. Get your ass outside. It doesn’t matter if it’s just to walk through the neighborhood, basking in the fun of being surrounded by nature, or meeting up with a bunch of your friends. Just get out of your house as often as you can right now. It’s so easy to wallow and avoid anything that takes place outside of your front door, but eventually, this isolation could make you depressed, and you deserve better than that.
  8. Meet new people. I know, I know. Meeting new people sucks. But when you’ve been hurt by someone you trust, meeting new people will remind you that other decent humans do exist out there in the world. Don’t let the fear of being screwed over again keep you from social interaction.
  9. Write it all down. You don’t have to be a writer to reap the benefits of documenting your hardships. Plus, once every detail is on paper, you might get a new perspective on it. If nothing else, it’ll help you learn and protect yourself from the same thing happening again.
  10. Acknowledge your strength. Don’t rush through the emotional recovery phase of this disaster
    without taking a moment to celebrate how much stronger you are now. You got through this. You picked yourself up and you’re dusting yourself off to continue living your life again. That is brave AF and deserves recognition, so give it to yourself.
is a freelance writer for Bustle and Petcha, and editor for Wise Bread. She suffers from separation anxiety, and can't bear to be away from her dog for more than 20 minutes. Her dog doesn't seem to care either way. Sweater season is her favorite season.
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