It’s not just a song from the 70’s: breaking up is hard to do. But sometimes, it can be exactly what you need to get back on your feet.
Though it can be difficult to move on, even if it was your decision, the period after a devastating break-up can be an integral turning-point in your inner emotional life.
Here are just a few reasons to appreciate your newfound independence in the weeks that follow a difficult goodbye, and why it may be healthy for you.
#1. It’s time for an emotional detox.
When people talking about detoxing, they’re usually referring to their body, but our minds can certainly benefit from it every now and then too.
Relationships, especially toxic ones, can be mentally and emotionally draining.
Sometimes you may not even realize how much you need a breather until you take a step back and let the emotional toxins out of your system.
Now’s the time to usher the bad energy out and welcome good things back in. This can be anything from throwing out things that remind you of your ex to spending a night out with friends.
Giving yourself time to process without dwelling too long in the past can be the most important step in moving forward.
#2. This is the ideal time for change.
The old adage is true: when one door closes, another one opens. It’s easy to feel that in losing your relationship, you’re also losing the future that this relationship implied.
The recovery period after a break-up is the ideal time to rediscover yourself and the passions that you may have put on the back-burner while you were in a committed relationship.
Reclaiming old hobbies, taking a weekend off to travel, or committing yourself to a larger project can be great ways to remind yourself that your life is still moving forward.
Regardless of what changes you feel you need to make, it’s probably time to embrace change and try something new.
#3. It’s also the perfect time to reevaluate what you want.
Maybe your ex was too needy, too sloppy, or too aloof. Maybe their sense of humor was annoying or you couldn’t stand the way they corrected your grammar.
The odds that your ex-S.O. was perfect are pretty low, and things that you may have glossed over as acceptable or even endearing “quirks” before may not seem so cute in retrospect.
This is the time to set up new standards and lay out the ground rules for your next relationship. You’ll become aware of just how necessary this break-up may have been.
Though it’s healthy to forgive and forget, reflection can do wonders for keeping you from making the same mistakes twice, and may help you to put the break-up in perspective.
#4. Now’s the time to take care of you.
Now is the perfect time to fall head-over-heels in love with yourself.
Treat yourself to a day at the spa, spend time with friends, start a new exercise routine, or spend a bit of extra money on your guilty pleasure.
Take chances you wouldn’t normally take. Meet new people. Try new things.
The independence that comes with being single can offer up a new level of freedom that you may not have appreciated before.
Now is the perfect time to ask questions and aspire for something new. It’s time to look forward and embrace this point of your life as a time for self-love, healing, and discovery.
What are some other reasons to appreciate your newly-single life after a break-up?
Featured Image: Bigstock
Reflect & Refresh 