10 Destructive Post-Breakup Habits You Should Never Feel Guilty About
We become so accustomed to having our significant others in our lives.
We text them regularly, see them on a daily basis and incorporate them into every aspect of our lives.
But when you go through a breakup, your life develops a void.
Some people wander around aimlessly, dragging their "ball and chain" hearts through the dirt. Others indulge in gluttonous behavior, finding solace in fried chicken and chocolate.
There are also the spiritual types, who search for answers from within through the power of meditation, poetry, art or yoga.
Then, there are those who find happiness at the bottom of a vodka bottle at 4 am, smelling of stale cigarettes and regret.
You might be the person who convinces yourself diving into a new relationship will sincerely help you to get over your last one. Or, you might just let go of all inhibitions and set up a Tinder profile.
However, it's imperative we find something to help us crawl out of the hellholes we've been dropped in.
Even though you might look back and regret some of these sins, remember they are forgivable. You did what you needed to do to get over your heartbreak.
Here are the 10 sins that are totally okay to indulge in after a breakup:
1. Listening to depressing music over and over again
It's totally fine if you search for depressing music online and listen to the wallowing sounds of Azure Ray and Sia all day.
If it helps you work through the tears at night, it's okay. You need this time to mourn the death of a relationship.
What better way to do so than through our sad, soulful sisters?
2. Talking about your breakup all the time
If your friends are annoyed by your ex's name coming up in every conversation, I suggest you break up with them, too. (Unless it's been months. In that case, you need to stop.)
But in the beginning, you'll need to talk about your ex.
Soon, you'll realize this person is no longer a part of your present or future.
But for now, talk about it all the time.
3. Changing your Facebook profile picture
We're all guilty of this one.
We change our Facebook profile pictures to send out the message, "I'm single and hot. F*ck you for breaking up with this."
It could also scream, "I love you. I will always love you. I'm hurting, and I'm not ready to let the world know you screwed me over."
Whichever Facebook profile picture belongs to you, don't fret. You can send out whatever message you want to send out because it's your social media account.
4. Constantly checking your phone
You wake up in the middle of the night to check your phone.
You wake up three times in the middle of the night to check your phone.
The only thing you do all day is check your phone.
To your dismay, you receive no texts from him, but you keep on checking your phone.
It's okay to obsess and want to hear from your ex.
5. Starving yourself
You feel ill at the very thought of food, and you can't stomach anything. Don't feel bad; it's only normal.
I promise you your appetite will return.
You haven't eaten in about three days, you've probably lost a few pounds and you feel like all your clothes are all loose.
You look at yourself in the mirror and think, "Damn, I look pretty good. I feel like crap, but I look good."
You might just feel a little better about yourself.
Embrace it because your appetite will return. You will pick up the weight as quickly as you lost it.
6. Hitting the town hard
Your friends convince you to go out dancing. You need to have a little fun.
So, you open your closet and pull out that little black dress that was a little bit tight before, and to your delight, it fits like it did when you bought it.
Slip on a pair of heels, apply a whole lot of concealer to those bags under your eyes and grab your mascara and eyeliner for later on in the night, when you will probably be crying in the bathroom.
You end up dancing the night away, sipping on one too many cocktails and harmlessly flirting with all the wrong people.
Your night ends exactly as expected: in the bathroom with mascara running down your face.
7. Pigging out
It all starts the morning after your big night out. This is your first complete meal since your breakup.
It could be Burger King, McDonald's, a huge pizza or even fried chicken. It doesn't matter because you ate something. Well done!
Unfortunately, this isn't where it stops. You felt so good when you ate something. You're going to want to have that feeling again and again.
Here come the pig-out sessions.
8. Going on Tinder
Who knew swiping left and right could give you so much perspective on life? It's a fun and easy way to meet new people and put yourself out there.
Being in a relationship makes you so accustomed to speaking to one person in a flirtatious way, but that has all changed. Now, you have to muster up the courage to reply to a message a complete stranger has sent you.
However, that isn't the hardest part.
You go crazy trying to remember how to flirt without sounding like a complete weirdo. Has it really been that long?
9. Therapy sessions with your mirror
When the self-loathing kicks in, look at yourself in the mirror and talk it out.
Tell yourself what a sh*tty person you've been lately. Reprimand yourself for all those fast food meals you've been devouring, all the binge-drinking you've been doing and all the flirting you've been attempting.
Rebuke yourself, and be kind to yourself. Also ask yourself, "What are we going to do now?"
10. Getting over it
Find what makes you happy. Remember what it was that used to make you happy before your failed relationship.
It could be spending time with your friends at the beach, meditation, writing, painting, running, reading mystery novels, dancing, adventure sports or even pottery.
Find it, remember it, and harness it. Harness it, and make yourself happy.
Be kind to yourself, and learn to love yourself. Before you know it, you're over your failed relationship and starting a new one with yourself.
Make the mistakes, and commit the crime because you're learning and growing.
Now, pass the ice cream tub and wine. I'm staying in tonight with myself.
