Breakups suck. I’ve struggled back and forth about writing this blog post because I have never really shared too much about my personal life here on the blog. But I wanted to be open and honest with you guys, and especially now during the holidays. If anyone was going through the same thing I am I want to help.

A couple months ago, I went through a breakup. It came completely out of the blue and honestly left me in complete shock. I had only been dating the guy for a few months officially, but we had been seeing each other for the better part of 2017. Things in my head were getting serious, but for him it was all happening too fast. Unfortunately we weren’t on the same page on a lot of different things, not just the relationship.

When a breakup happens, your whole world gets shaken. It’s never something easy to deal with and honestly the whole “it just takes time” saying is kind of true. But while you’re waiting for that time to pass and for that day to come where you wake up and suddenly things just start to feel a little better, here are some tips that worked for me on how to get over a breakup.

1. Cry. Yes, you heard me…cry. You don’t have to be that person who appears to be tough and emotionless (unless that really is you, in which case more power to you). Crying is a natural response to sadness, and especially after a breakup, you’re going to feel sad. I spent the entire weekend after my breakup just sitting on the couch, or in my bed crying. I probably used up 3+ boxes of Kleenex but honestly, it helped.

2. Talk about it. I’m a huge proponent of talking about it. Whether it’s to your friends, family or to a therapist (for me it was all of the above), it really helps to vocalize how you are feeling. Take advantage of the people who are there for you during this tough time. Talk through what you’re feeling and what you are going through. I even had a friend who I didn’t know very well reach out to be during this time to take me out to dinner and just talk. Honestly it was one of the nicest things someone did for me at this time and it made me feel a lot better.

3. Exercise. Elle Woods once said, “Exercise gives you endorphines, endorphines make you happy”. This couldn’t be more true. When you exercise, your body releases endorphines. Endorphines are a chemical that signals to your brain to feel happy. So as much as it might feel like a pain to get up and go to that gym class, just do it. Because when you leave you’ll be feeling a lot better than when you walked in.

4. Lay off the alcohol. Now some people (mainly my guy friends) disagree with this rule. But for me, and many other people, alcohol can heighten whatever you’re feeling. So if you go into a night of heavy drinking feeling sad, chances are that emotion is just going to get worse. Take it from my own experience. I thought going out with my girlfriends a week after my breakup would be a great distraction for me, but I ended up leaving early and spending the entire night crying hysterically on my bedroom floor. It was not a pretty look and honestly I felt terrible afterwards. So if you’re like me, take it safe and just chill on the drinking.

5. Practice self-care and self-love. A lot of times when you’re in a relationship, you get so swept up in spending time with another person that you start to forget about yourself. I know for me, this definitely was the case. After my breakup I decided to focus on the things that really made me happy. I booked myself a facial, made plans with friends I hadn’t seen in a while and focused on things I enjoyed like working out or this blog. I also started to attend church more regularly. It helped to put my energy back into my faith and really allowed me to feel grounded during a tough time. Really take this time to focus on what makes you happy.

6. Realize it will all be okay. This is honestly the hardest part, but the most important. Everything happens for a reason. This wasn’t my first breakup, and probably won’t be my last. I was able to get over the last one and become a much better person from it and I have a feeling the same thing will happen again. But it’s hard. I get it. There are days where I honestly question why everything happened and if it really was the right decision. At the end of the day, there really is nothing else for you to do but move forward.

If you guys are going through a breakup right now just know that you are not alone. You will get through this and find an amazing person that will make you laugh at the days when you felt this sad. But also realize that what you are feeling is okay. Whatever emotion you are feeling right now whether it’s sad, angry, upset, confused, these are all valid feelings to have. Just know, that time really does heal all and eventually you to will get past this. Sending you all my love.