Look, breakups are the worst.
We’re all well aware of that fact – it doesn’t need to be explained.
You’re sad and then you’re angry and then you’re confused and then you’re sad again and then you block them on all social media, remove every trace of them from your Instagram page, and pretend that they never existed.
Very healthy, indeed.
And as anybody who has ever gone through a particularly nasty breakup knows, distracting yourself with just about anything to forget about the fact that you’re oh so very alone is generally a decent thing to do.
Except, as it turns out, it might not actually be the best way to get over it – rather, the opposite is.
According to a recent study published in the Social Psychological and Personality Science journal, thinking about your relationship and working through the feelings associated with it after it’s ended is the best way to move on.
The research examined a lot of the painful aspects of breakups using various subjects and found that those who dealt with their feelings head-on were able to “psychologically untangle” themselves from their ex a lot faster than those who distracted themselves with other things.
The study also recommended keeping a diary in the immediate aftermath of such an emotionally distressing situation. Apparently, it’s a good idea so you can “check in” on yourself on the regular.
So, rather than pretending like everything is all fine, allow yourself to wallow in self-pity, loathing, and absolute misery for a bit.
That way, the feelings will be felt, you’ll work through them quicker, and you’ll be able to move on and be happy with yourself a lot sooner.
At least that’s the theory anyway.
Not exactly dying to test it out, tbh.
