5 Steps That'll Turn Your Break Up Into A Breakthrough

To help you on your way, here are five simple yet effective strategies for coping with breakup stress:

- Dr. Girish Kumar

1 Acceptance

It’s an unfortunate truth that heartbreak in any form, whether a mild rejection or a full-blown life-changing event, can put you in an emotional tailspin, a palm-in-face moment. Even though we know the relationship is over, we really don’t believe it. We see hidden glimmers of hope buried in clear indications that it’s over. Against the better judgment of everyone around us, we can’t help but entertain fantasies of things somehow working out. Surrender to what is. Accept your life as it is unfolding right now. Surrendering to what it is doesn’t mean you have no power in your life. Learning how to accept a breakup you didn’t want doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to being single or unhappy for the rest of your life. On the contrary, surrender and acceptance has the power to awaken hope and life in your soul. The most important thing is not to lose heart, and to stay connected to a source of peace and joy.

2 Forgiveness

The act of forgiving goes beyond helping a person to heal—it is the ultimate act of reclaiming one’s own well-being. Forgiveness can be especially tough in a breakup. In many cases, we were hurt by our partner long before the actual breakup—in fact, a buildup of hurt is often what caused the breakup to begin with. Forgive them and forgive yourself. Never ever resort to the blame game for your ex or for yourself. For, anything that doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. Forgiveness is a dynamic process that refines and reforms the person who is forgiving and can be just as cathartic for the person being forgiven.