Sarah Murcko

Let’s be honest, breakups are rough. Even if you were the one who ended it, the grief can feel overwhelming. And if you’re still in love with them? That ache can feel all-consuming.

Healing doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen with intention.

Step 1: Allow Yourself to Grieve

Breakups are a real loss. You’re not just letting go of a person, you’re letting go of hopes, routines, and dreams. Give yourself permission to cry, journal, be mad, or curl up with ice cream and a sad playlist. You’re not being dramatic, you’re being human.

Step 2: Set Boundaries

Unfollowing, unfriending, or even blocking might feel extreme, but distance helps the heart heal. You don’t have to do it forever, just until you’ve reclaimed your peace.

Step 3: Reconnect with You

When we love someone deeply, it’s easy to lose bits of ourselves. So now’s the time to do things that remind you who you are: your hobbies, your friendships, your faith, your goals. You’re more than someone’s partner, you’re a whole person.

Step 4: Avoid Numbing the Pain

Bingeing, scrolling, drinking, overworking (any of these sound familiar?) These might distract, but they don’t heal. The hurt will still be there when those things aren’t happening. Try turning to healthy outlets like therapy, journaling, movement, or prayer.

Step 5: Reflect on the Relationship

Once the raw pain softens, ask: What did this teach me? What patterns do I want to change? What do I want from a future relationship that may have been different from this one? Real growth happens not by avoiding the pain, but by learning from it.

And remember, you’re not broken. You’re becoming.