Relationships

How To Get Through The Holidays If Your Relationship Just Ended

by Jamie LeeLo
Paul Edmondson

The holidays can be a really magical time of the year if you're up for family, friends, cozying up by the fire and spending time with the people you love.

It can also be, like, super depressing if the relationship you were in just ended, and suddenly you feel like that commercial where the old man never has anyone visit him at Christmas so he pretends to die to get his all of his kids together.

DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT?!?! Watch if you don't:

I mean, HONESTLY, WTF. That commercial is so sad.

Point is, it can definitely be tricky to navigate the rest of the world's merriment when you are like a big lump of stocking coal on the inside.

Maybe you want to hide and not tell anyone. Maybe you want to regift what you bought your ex and give it to your Great Uncle Louis. Whatever you want to do, we're behind you.

Here are a few ideas to help you get through the holidays if your relationship just ended:

Do not underestimate the power of a good nap.

Make this holiday vacation all about you. A great way to curb anxiety, sadness and emotional fatigue is to literally sleep that shit away.

It might feel lousy if you're used to be being a productive, little elf at the holidays, but taking some time to turn off might be just the ticket to keeping your thoughts quiet and the mood peaceful.

On December 23, put on your jammies and only take them off when it's time to go meet up with the family for Christmas Eve dinner.

You deserve a pre-Christmas chill session in sweatpants eating macaroni out of tupperware.

Watch a non-romantic movie that will definitely make you cry.

Look, you're going to need a good cry session. A great, therapeutic way to let all of those emotions out is to watch a movie that gives you all the warm and fuzzy feel goods and makes you cry every time.

While you're blubbering happy tears, tons of sad tears will be washed out in the process giving you the good, body-wracking sob session you're entitled to, without having to meditate on where it's all coming from.

Some movies I love to cry to are "Inside Out," "Free Willy," "Cast Away," "The Pursuit Of Happyness," "Hook" and "Happy Feet."

Double down on your friends and family.

If you HAVE to be around people right now, hopefully it's at least the ones who have your back.

Take a walk with your dad, go visit your old childhood friend's house or hang out at your hometown local haunt.

Putting your mind back on the people who loved you before your relationship, and are still there now, will remind you are loved, safe and going to be OK.

Default to this when you feel the sads coming.

Eat those emotions, girl! (Or boy!).

If this is your kind of thing when you're sad, you couldn't have picked a better time to have your heart broken. Go indulge in all the emotional eating you want.

Christmas cookies? Thank you very much. Turkey and ham leftovers? Yes, please. Pound cake for breakfast, mashed potatoes for lunch, candy canes for dinner? Why not?!

'Tis the season for eating ANYWAY, so you might as well get in there while you have an excuse other than feeling so empty inside you have to fill yourself with carbs.

Focus on the new year to come; do not reflect on the year you just had.

Change is coming no matter what.

With every year comes new life experiences, lessons and milestones that, no matter how prepared we feel we are, take us by surprise.

I mean... look at how unexpected this past year turned out... imagine all the possibilities that could come next!

Set some resolutions for yourself that don't remind you of happier times with your ex. Maybe this is your year to get into yoga, or get a dog or learn a new language.

Whatever it is, write it down and remember you have the freedom to be whoever you want to be in the new year!

Give, give, give.

Go out and do some last-minute Christmas shopping RIGHT NOW. Try focusing on all the other amazing people in your life and what would make them happiest this time of year.

By turning your attention to bringing joy to other people, you'll kick up some feel-goods for yourself, feel connected to those around you and manifest some positive, loving energy.

Whatever you do, do NOT listen to the song "The Christmas Shoes."

Similar to the old man commercial, this song is designed to fill our hearts with an overwhelming sense of sadness and hopelessness, and for all that is good and holy in the world, I don't know why it exists.

Avoid this song at all costs.

Promise me. PROMISE ME.

Take care of yourself this holiday break. If you need to "bah humbug" you're way through it, I say go for it.

Breakups are hard, holidays are crazy and you are entitled to having whatever kind of Christmas your broken heart needs.