Self Love After a Breakup: A Guide to Mental Health and Healing

Breakups are never easy but when you prioritize self love after a breakup, it may make the healing journey easier.

Whether you were in a long-term relationship or a short-lived romance, the end of a relationship can take a toll on your mental health.

It’s normal to feel lost, alone, and heartbroken after a breakup, but it’s important to remember that the best way to heal is through self-love. And healing is absolutely possible. You may even find that you can be a better version of your true self once you go through the healing process.

One of the first steps in the healing process after a toxic relationship or a bad break up is recognizing that you deserve to be loved and treated with respect. Whether the breakup was a bad breakup or a mutual decision, it’s important to take the time to focus on yourself and your mental health. You may be feeling low self-esteem or negative self-talk, but taking little steps towards building your self-worth can make a big difference.

Sometimes the hardest part of a breakup is often losing someone who was once an important part of your life. Whether it was a family member, a long-time friend, or a former partner, the loss of a relationship can leave you feeling alone and vulnerable.

However, it’s important to remember that there are good things that can come out of a breakup. It’s a great time to focus on yourself, learn new things, and try new experiences. You have free time that you can use to explore new hobbies, travel to new places, or just spend time doing things you enjoy.

Things To Remember When Starting a Healing Journey

It’s normal to have a hard time moving on from a past relationship. Therefore, it’s a great time to try new things and explore new areas of development. There are many self-help books, social media platforms, and online communities that can provide support and guidance.

As you start your healing journey, it’s important to recognize the root causes of your low self-worth and negative self-talk. It’s common to experience these feelings after a bad breakup or an abusive relationship, but it’s important to work towards breaking the cycle. Take the time to learn about yourself and what makes you happy.

Additionally, try to focus on positive changes that will help you become the best version of yourself. A bad relationship does not mean that you’re a bad person. You’ll find yourself in healthy relationships in the future if you do not rush into the next relationship and focus on healing. 

One essential step in the healing process is to let go of the past and focus on the present and future. If this is the only thing that you do, it may be one of the most beneficial.

This may mean writing a love letter to yourself or your future self, or starting a new project or activity that brings you joy. It’s important to remember that the end of a romantic relationship is a normal part of life. And that you have the inner strength to move forward.

At the end of the day, you’ll need to do what is best for you. Below are some ideas that might help you but if they don’t remind yourself that sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is try new activities. 

How to Practice Self Love After a Breakup: 11 Helpful Examples

1. Practice self-care: This includes eating healthy foods, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and taking time to relax and unwind. For some, this may be reading breakup quotes or for others, it’s just creating time to find simple ways to focus on yourself.
2. Surround yourself with positive people: Spend time with friends/family who uplift and support you. Avoid spending time with people who make you feel worse about yourself. Call your best friend and ask them to come over to watch a funny movie. 
3. Learn a new skill: Pick up a new hobby or skill that you’ve always wanted to try. This can be a great way to challenge yourself and build confidence.
4. Practice mindfulness: Focus on the present moment and practice mindfulness meditation. This can help reduce stress and improve overall health.
5. Grab a self-love journal: Journaling can be a powerful tool for self-reflection and personal growth. Write down your thoughts and feelings, and use positive affirmations to build your self-worth.
6. Volunteer: Giving back to your community can be a great way to improve your overall well-being.
7. Practice forgiveness: Let go of any grudges or negative feelings towards your former partner. Forgiveness can be a powerful way to move on and focus on the present. Forgiveness is the key to healing.
8. Take a break from social media: Social media can often be a source of stress and anxiety. Try setting healthy social media boundaries.
9. Seek out therapy or counseling: Therapy can be a helpful tool for working through emotions and developing coping strategies for dealing with the end of a relationship.
10. Practice gratitude: Focus on the good things in your life. This can help shift your focus from negative thoughts to positive ones. There are so many different things to be grateful for. Take a minute and look around – you are worthy of love. 

Other Things to Keep in Mind when Healing From a Breakup:

1. Be patient with yourself: Healing takes time, be patient with yourself. Allow yourself to feel emotions that come up. It may take a long time to truly heal but you small progress can make huge impacts. 
2. Avoid contact with your ex-partner: Give yourself some space and time away from your ex-partner. There many not be an easy way to do this but when you find distance or a little space between you and your past partner, you expedite your healing journey. 
3. Seek professional help: If you’re struggling to cope with the breakup, consider seeking help from a therapist or counselor who can provide guidance and support.
4. Practice self-reflection: Reflect on your past relationships, what you want from future relationships, and what you learned. Try practicing self-reflection by finding some self-help journals or reading a self-help book. 
5. Focus on personal growth: Try new things, set new goals, and challenge yourself. Don’t look for a new relationship. Use this time to build a strong relationship with yourself. 
6. Be kind to yourself: Don’t be too hard on yourself or blame yourself for the end of the relationship. It takes two people to make a relationship work.
7. Take things one day at a time: Breakups can be overwhelming. Take things one day at a time and focus on small, achievable goals.
8. Stay positive: Keep a positive attitude and focus on the good things in your life. Things will get better over time. We do want to stress – we are not preaching toxic positivity though. It’s incredibly important that you honor your emotions and acknowledge a broken heart. One of the worst things you can do is act like everything is fine. Let your emotions out. If you are in an emotional state, embrace the feelings, process them, and let them go. 

Final Thoughts

In summary, self-love is a great way to heal from a breakup in a healthy way. It’s important to take the time to focus on yourself and your mental health, and to seek out resources and support when you need it.

Remember that the end of a relationship is a normal part of life, and that you have the strength and resilience to move forward and create a new life for yourself. You have your entire life to find love and you may find love in many different versions that are fulfilling.

Your previous relationship does not define you and you are free to leave negative things in the past. You may find a soul mate in a dog, your best friend, or someone you haven’t even met yet. By focusing on self-love and personal growth, you can emerge from a breakup stronger and happier than ever before. 

It’s also important to seek out extra help if you need it. Whether it’s talking to a close friend or seeing a therapist, there are many resources available to help you through the hard times. You are not alone in your journey – many people have experienced a bad break up and can help you.

Also, when in doubt, develop a daily routine that focuses on self-love, such as taking a bubble bath, practicing yoga, or reading a good book.

And remember – be gentle with yourself! If you’re looking for guidance or stage-by-stage structure, you may not find it.

Healing can be a critical part of your self-love journey. You may never know how much time it will take but sometimes the only thing that you can focus on is your energy and attitude. 

Bonus Resources

This may be a little spicy but a sex therapist like Jane B. Carter can help you work through any emotional issues related to your past relationship and help you move forward in a healthy way.

Authors like Lindsey Brock and Tamara L. Hanna offer relatable entries and a variety of useful prompts to guide you through the healing process. You may love using their guide to help navigate your feelings and emotions.

Last but not least, if you take one thing from this post, this is the most important thing – Try to find happiness in the little things in life each day and approach each day with good intentions. This is just a temporary setback. You have your entire life to experience love. Remember – your self worth is not dependent on the person you are with!