It Gets Easier: 5 Ways A Recent Breakup Can Wake Up The Soul

A broken heart is not a quick fix.

It takes time and patience, and you have to get to know yourself in a completely different realm.

But one thing is for certain: A breakup can force us to reawaken our souls.

When love doesn't turn out the way we originally hoped, we have several choices.

We can pull the sheets over our heads and sleep until we're forced to wake up and deal with the reality.

We can go out and party until 3 am, in order to forget the pain we feel every day from our loss.

Or, we can get up, look at ourselves in the mirror and tell ourselves we are okay.

When we do this, we're choosing the best option of all.

We're making a decision to mend our broken hearts on our own, despite how impossible it may seem.

These are the five musts for mending your heart and awakening the soul:

1. Embrace the power of yoga.

We live in an upbeat, fast-paced society.

It's way too easy to suppress our inner feelings by keeping ourselves distracted with jam-packed schedules.

Breakup or no breakup, yoga is where it’s at.

Throughout the class, you're encouraged to set an intention and allow your body to open up and breathe.

You allow the earth to simply hold you.

By doing this, you release control and fear.

That need to hold on to someone or something suddenly surpasses.

2. Accept loneliness.

In "The Wounded Healer," well-known spiritual writer Henri Nouwen once wrote:

The awareness of loneliness might be a gift we must protect and guard because our loneliness reveals to us an inner emptiness that can be destructive when misunderstood, but filled with promise for [the one] who can tolerate its sweet pain.

It's important to be happy and content with who we are.

When all of the outside forces wane, and voices are silenced around you, all you have is yourself.

When you accept who you are 100 percent, you'll be able to see the silver lining behind loneliness.

3. Volunteer.

Doing things for other people is important.

It's very easy to get into that “poor me” mindset after a breakup, but instead of wasting time wallowing, take one or two days out of your week to volunteer somewhere.

When we focus more on other people rather than ourselves, we become happier individuals.

4. Keep your love letters.

When we meet others, they change us in one way or another, and they open our eyes and hearts to new things.

Don’t throw away a piece of something that made you who you are.

Don’t throw away someone’s feelings and love for you.

Even if it's now in the past, it's something you’ll want to look back on some day.

People you once loved are not meant to be forgotten, and you will be able to find that love again.

5. Dance it out.

When life gets you down, you dance it out.

My song recommendations are anything from Tom Petty, John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen.

Even if you have roommates or just feel awkward setting aside some time to dance in your living room, I don't care.

Trust me, dance it out and embrace your freedom.