The thought of ending a relationship (of our own choice or otherwise) can be seriously haunting. From horribly clingy boyfriends to husbands who just don’t seem to understand us, heartbreak is no new phenomenon, and we can only imagine that feeling of complete dread that threatens to take over our very lives and ends with us and nine cats! Quite overwhelming to deal with, right? But don’t worry; we’ve got really good news for you.
A new research reveals that our brains are actually wired to handle falling out of romantic relationships and into new ones. So all those nights of despair spent in bed, curled up with a tub of ice cream is just temporary. “Our review of the literature suggests we have a mechanism in our brains designed by natural selection to pull us through a very tumultuous time in our lives,” explains Dr. Brian Boutwell, associate professor of epidemiology at Saint Louis University (SLU). “There will be a light at the end of the tunnel,” he adds.
While science proves that you will have an easy time getting over it, we feel that breakups are nothing but positive pauses. Unrealistic? Well, here are five positive lessons that will actually make life after a break-up better.
Embrace the freedom: You might initially not view this as a positive takeaway but think of it as a breather from responsibilities. Do what you want, explore your passions without worrying about another person. You have no obligations or responsibilities to live up to.
Learn your lessons: This is perhaps one of the most important things that you could learn from a break-up or a divorce. Sit down, think of everything that went wrong with your relationship and vow to not do the same things again. Take it as a positive experience, a tester of sorts, before you move on to better things in life.
Value your friends: It is very rare that one can say that they place their friends above their man. It is only fair for you to dedicate that amount of time to him when you are together. But a break-up will let you value your friends even more. They are the ones who will hold your hand during a meltdown but they will also always tell you the truth and point out if you are wrong.
Love yourself: We often tend to blame ourselves when it comes to a bad relationship. Either you didn’t give in your 100 per cent or maybe you gave it too much. Whatever the case may be, stop blaming yourself. It takes two people to make or break a relationship, so while it’s important to learn a lesson, don’t beat yourself up over a bad relationship.
Learn to be patient: Things will work out when they have to and pushing yourself into the wrong relationship just because you don’t want to be alone definitely doesn’t work. Learn to be patient and enjoy life as it comes. Let the break-up just remind you that there are better things waiting to happen.
