How to Survive Valentine’s Day Right After a Breakup
Valentine's Day is tough enough when you're single, but if you've just gone through a rough breakup, the holiday that's supposed to be about love and romance can suddenly become the most painful day of the year.
As you're attempting to recover from heartbreak, it never helps to be reminded again and again of other people's seemingly perfect relationships. If you're eager to prevent the day from being the worst ever, keep scrolling for our top tips on surviving V-Day right after a breakup.
Stay Busy
Sitting around feeling sorry for yourself is only ever going to make you feel worse about the situation. Instead, get your mind off of things by keeping busy, whether that means heading to the gym to do something physical, practicing a hobby, or just vegging out in front of the TV with something engaging. If your thoughts are weighing heavily on you, it may be difficult to fully invest in what you're doing, but if you can distract yourself for even a moment, you'll find the situation easier than if it was bearing on you the entire day. But remember, if you're going to turn to a favorite movie or show, you may want to avoid romance while the wound is still fresh.
Connect With Single Friends
Being surrounded by people who care about you is always a big help when you're feeling down in the dumps. If you can, get a group of your closest unattached friends together and have a Galentine's celebration focused on your close friendship, and not the relationships you're not in. Having a good time with friends can keep your minds off of things, and can also help you along with the healing process.
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Avoid Social Media
On Feb. 14, social media can be one big whirlpool of lovey-dovey fakeness that you'll simply want to avoid. Most feeds will be an endless barrage of relationship posts, which is no help when you're not quite over the end of your own relationship. If you do get caught scrolling through Instagram, remember that people tend to make their lives seem better than reality on social media, and that other people's relationships aren't always as picture-perfect as they think.
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Practice Self-Care
Being single on Valentine's Day gives you the ultimate excuse to treat yourself. Make it a day of mindful self-care, with rest and pampering yourself at the top of the list. Be compassionate with yourself and give yourself a chance to slow down. Maybe you'll want to meditate, take a luxurious bath, or treat yourself to a tasty meal and a dessert. Self-care looks different for different people, so explore what helps you heal, and go after it.
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Accept Your Feelings
No matter what happens, remember that it's okay to be sad or angry after your breakup—especially if it's on Valentine's Day. While distractions are great to get you through the day, you shouldn't feel like you have to ignore or reject your feelings entirely. It's healthy to feel your emotions and process them, and if that has to happen on Feb. 14, so be it. Don't rush the healing process or feel the need to pretend you're feeling fine when you're not. You may be surprised that this process actually makes you feel better in the long run.
Being in a relationship isn't always everything it's cracked up to be. Click HERE for our list of reasons it's better to be single on Valentine's Day.