Healing takes time and as an intentional endeavor, practicing self-awareness is a crucial step in the process.
As one Alfred Tennyson said, “It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” A heartbreak is an unfortunate yet unstoppable situation in life because people don’t always find the right one on the first try. However, this doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to celebrate the month of love. February is for all kinds of love: those who are happy, those who are contented, those who prefer to be alone, and even those who are still healing.
Practicing self-awareness is a crucial step in the healing process by identifying our emotions, what we need in the present, and what it will take to mend what is broken.
READ ALSO: Treat Yourself: The Importance Of Self-Love During Valentine’s Season
Commit to a self-care routine
Healthline mentioned how important it is to prioritize self-care after a relationship heartbreak. First of all, identify your feelings before doing anything else. You can either say it aloud or write it in a journal. Being able to do this might not help by a huge margin, but it can alleviate some of the content of your overflowing cup.
After that, you can try to commit to tasks one at a time. This could be a short nap in the afternoon, never missing a skin care routine, exercising or meditating for a few minutes, or writing at least two things to be grateful for. You could also do something as simple as binge-watching your favorite television series or arranging a warm bath. Just do what is best for you at the moment without pressuring yourself.
Spend a day in a wellness facility
A spa day cannot undo the pain a heartbreak has caused a person, but it sure has benefits. Florida-based spa Botanica alluded to having a pampering session as it allows for relaxing the mind and body.
You can enjoy wellness activities like luxurious facials, full body massages, or even a salon day. Change up your hairdo or have it curled, straightened or colored. Additionally, you can indulge in these activities with your friends, family, or by yourself.
Travel solo
Suffering a heartbreak just might require one to have a temporary change of scenery, and a journey better spent alone sometimes. A report by Condé Nast revealed traveling doesn’t necessarily mean running away from problems, but rather helps in processing emotions.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Theresa Schwaiger equated traveling as a mode of healing to what is called the dual process model of grief. “This model proposes that we oscillate between confronting and avoiding the loss, which is actually really healthy at the end of a relationship,” she explained, according to Condé Nast.
Schwaiger added that a place might surround someone who’s healing the reminders of a person they lost, so they can’t fluctuate between “avoiding and confronting.” She remarked that traveling provides the space to do both so one can temporarily “escape without suppressing the pain of heartbreak.”
When you choose to travel in order to heal, do so discerningly. Invest in one that is “restorative” and would invoke inner reflection.
Incorporating healthy food habits
A report from Forbes revealed last year that 45,000 participants in a study confirmed the correlation of diet and well-being. Having a healthy lifestyle leads to the “most profound psychological benefits following stressful periods,” which include a breakup.
On that note, healing takes form in healthy eating habits. While comfort foods like burgers, pizza, and other sweets could help immediately following a heartbreak, it doesn’t pose long-term advantages for one’s healing.
Incorporate artichokes, fermented ingredients, other vegetables, and fruits in your daily meals. Dark chocolate doesn’t hurt either as it contains antioxidants that help relieve anxiety and reduce stress hormones.
Celebrate other types of love
Love doesn’t have to mean just the romantic side of things. It encapsulates friends, family, places you love visiting and things you enjoy doing. These other forms of love deserve to be celebrated. Have a Galentine’s Day celebration with your peers. Enjoy a family dinner ladled with good food and fun games. You can opt to have alone time and revisit forgotten hobbies.
Healing is an intentional endeavor, so while you let yourself grieve, remember to practice mindfulness as well. Fostering a healthy self-care process will surely facilitate better responses and recovery from your heartbreak. Let this month of love instill gentleness and compassion towards yourself.
Banner photo from Karsten Winegeart via Unsplash.
