I hereby give you permission to self-indulge for the first 2-3 weeks following your breakup.
I’m not talking about a cliche of self-care activities (though I’m a big advocate of pedicured feet to get a girl going in the morning). What I’m talking about is giving in to the activities, pastimes, and guilty pleasures that are whispering to you from every inch of your being.
Do you want to cry in the morning? Sleep in? Wine on a Tuesday night with takeout tacos? A pumpernickel bagel with extra cream cheese? Binging some true crime with microwave popcorn at noon on Saturday?
If it feels good, now is your time to do it.
A long hike? Essential oil massage? Oven pizza? Hey – to each their own!
Studies have shown that during a breakup, your brain goes through the same reactions that it does when you withdraw from a substance (especially if you’re a rockstar and go no-contact, but that’s a subject for another post). Therefore, you need to find DISTRACTIONS over the next few weeks. These juicy tidbits to feel the void will not only keep you from texting your ex with hostility or passive aggressive guilt-inducing nonsense, they will fill the place in your day that you would normally spend with him/her and help you get through that first initial stage of the withdrawal.
Don’t get me wrong, healthy living and especially exercise are a big part of my overall process to kick this breakup in the butt, but that will come. The first few weeks are about getting through; and if nachos, sleepovers, Catfish marathons, or a day off work is what you need, WHY THE HELL NOT?
I practice what I preach. When I separated from my husband I sent the first two weeks (when I wasn’t working my booty off working three jobs to pay the rent on the apartment I’d asked him to leave) eating Pringles, playing Tetris, watching all six seasons of The L-Word and numerous obscure Netflix documentaries, and drinking red wine. If I wanted something, I just did it.
It was like my own little hedonist retreat and, you know what? At the end of it, I was happy to be single and to get my groove back (oh and did I ever get that groove back).
What are the guilty pleasures that are calling you right now? What’s something you could never do with your ex around on the weekend? Go for it, you know you want to.
Recent Comments