I think we’ve all been there at least once.  Some of us have been there more times than we might care to acknowledge.  I’m talking about the place we end up when someone stomps on our heart; steam rolls our self-confidence and strangles our vision of ever lasting love.  The place we finds ourselves occupying after the breakup that was not our idea.  The breakup that I’m going to help you shake off, move past and laugh about sooner rather than later.

It could be that you think I have a lot of nerve saying I can fix this with my little words of wisdom.  Hey, give me a chance.  If my advice doesn’t work for you, you can certainly pass it on to a friend, relative, stranger, Starbucks barista or your UPS delivery person.  Stay with me.  You can thank me later.

First, the most important element of getting past your breakup is that you must get out.  I mean out into the world.  You must leave your living situation, whatever it may be, and you must see/experience people/things.  You must lay eyes on other human beings and objects and animals and traffic and trees.  You will recover from your breakup more quickly if you don’t sit at home wallowing.  Where shall I go, you ask?  I am armed with suggestions, some expected, some not.

Let’s start with the unexpected.

Waffle House.  Or Huddle House or what ever the local diner, breakfast all day type place is in your neck of the woods.  You are scratching your head, aren’t you?  I suggest you just go, sit at the counter, order some gourmet (??) grub and look around you.  Not only will the employees entertain you, the patrons are something to behold.  I had a really great boyfriend who loved Waffle House and he went every week.  I know that he often went alone.  For all I know he went in search of new prospects after we broke up.  (I was responsible for that one.)  This experience will make you smile and possibly laugh out loud as you recount the story of your Waffle House visit to your enamored friends and relatives.  Trust me, just go.

 
Any small art gallery.  Looking at art is good for the soul.  I don’t care if your soul is happy or in the depths of breakup hell, you will smile when you look at other people’s art.  The term ‘art’ is highly subjective.  It can be inspiring, horrific, fantastic, scary, funny or all of those things at once.  If you look at some, it will move you.  It will take your mind off the loser who dumped you or who you had to dump.  Even if you encounter an artist that you dislike, it will make you think.  And you will be thinking of something other than the breakup.  Mission accomplished.

 
Petsmart or any other pet store.  When you visit these stores dedicated to animals, chances are some customer is going to have a cute puppy or kitty cat or gerbil or snake with them for you to talk to!  You know that folks bring their pets to these stores for the sole reason that they are pining for compliments and questions about their pride and joy.  You can make a persons day by cuddling their cat or canine while you boost your own spirit and crowd out any and all thoughts of break up person!  If necessary, you can imagine the canine viciously biting break up person or the kitty cat scratching break up person’s eyes out.  Plan a visit to Petsmart really soon! 
 
Other suggestions for taking your mind off your breakup include taking a class (a class in voodoo spells always comes in handy) or volunteering in your local community.  Helping others is a sure fire way to take your mind off your own woes.  Just promise me you won’t sit at home wallowing.  That is just not acceptable behavior on your part.  Get out and soak in parts of the world around you that you missed while you were wrapped up in ‘the relationship.’  Remember that it is proven that hope springs eternal. This is true in fall, winter and summer, too.  So take my advice, explore the unexpected and before you know it, you know who will be a thing of the past.  And by the way, you’re welcome.

Photo Credit © Yuri Arcurs | Dreamstime.com

Tags: advice, breakup, experience, explore, relationships