Keeping Your Sanity After A Breakup

Breakups are a lot to handle, especially the ones following a long relationship. You suffer from overwhelming emotional and mental stress that sometimes you just want to break down and succumb to your dark thoughts brought about by a myriad of negative emotions. Fortunately we are stronger than these emotions and we can overcome them if we put our hearts into it. Here are 7 ways you can keep your sanity after a really stressful breakup:

1. Lay off their social media. Once upon a time when you were all lovey-dovey with your ex, your social media profiles intertwined and showed numerous photos, videos, tweets, and status updates of how in love you were. Now that you're no longer together, it's time to erase any digital traces of their being a part of your life. No more chatting, stalking, commenting on their status updates/photos for the time being. If need be you can block them so that you will no longer see any of their recent activity. You'll just end up even more depressed when they post status updates or photos showing that they no longer care about you or that they are perfectly happy without you in their lives.
2. Remove all contacts. It's high time you change your digits or erase theirs from your phone even though you've memorized all their phone numbers and can say them in your sleep. Refrain from texting or calling, especially drunk texts/calls at 3 A.M. in the morning. You'll just end up looking pitiful and most likely embarrass yourself in the process.
3. Drink like there's no tomorrow. Go out and have those drinking marathons you used to do during college where you pass out and you have no idea where you are when you wake up. You may find yourself hugging a toilet bowl or sleeping on your puke, having no recollection of the events prior, just make sure you do it in a safe environment. You drink your worries away and wallow in your misery, you allow yourself a few hours to be reckless and irresponsible, but make sure that after that you pull yourself together, coming back strong and determined that you will overcome those hurts and sorrows.
4. Escape from reality. Buy a book and get lost in it. Or better yet buy lots and lots of books and read them with much gusto. Download movies and have a movie marathon. Go for a trip all by yourself but make sure you plan it well. Sometimes it's necessary to just get up and get lost in something other than your raging emotions so that eventually they no longer bother you as much as they do right now.
5. Shut yourself from the world. Have a day where you just turn off all communication from the outside world. Turn off your phone, your computer, your tablets and just allow yourself to be lonely. That time of solitude will help you ponder on why the relationship didn't work, it will help you realize the things that ended up being catalysts for your breakup. Along the way you can also rediscover yourself and emerge from this hiatus with a renewed sense of being, ready to conquer the challenges of the world.
6. Form friendships that matter. In dire situations, it is always best to ask the help of a friend or a family member. Just the fact that someone is there to listen as you express all your pent-up feelings and hurt gives a sense of assurance that you are not alone in this quest of recovery.Choose friends who are great listeners and those who aren't quick to judge you on your actions or why you ended up in this situation.
7. Do something productive. Whether it's learning a new skill, staring a new hobby, or volunteering for your favorite charity, doing something productive with your time often gives you a sense of renewed purpose and help alleviate all the hurt and sorrow you feel after a breakup. You will instantly feel good about yourself, and that's really where it all starts. Giving yourself the opportunity to rediscover who you are and what makes you happy will lead to recovery, and being able to help others along the way is pretty much a really sweet bonus.