Break-up Survival 101

Top 10 things you need to get you through:

1. Sweatpants

Or Nike shorts. Just something comfortable. I opted for my purple skinny-leg sweats, but it varies from break-up to break-up.

2. A playlist

If you’re anything like me, during the Sad stage you’ll want to break out the ultra-depressing music. I’ve got Warning Sign, We Never Change, and A Message by Coldplay on a continuous loop. And To Build a Home for good measure. But mostly Warning Sign. Listen, you’ll understand.

For the Angry stage, it’s all about Best Thing You Never Had and angry rap music.

3. Friends

You need friends that will drop their weekend plans to join you on the couch to cry. Thankfully, I live with three of those. And I have my four best friends from home who offered to drop everything and drive to my college with Ben and Jerry. Yes, these are the people you need. (Sorry, my friends are taken.)

4. Food

Food, food and more food, but just for the Shock stage. My Shock stage included Domino’s pizza and homemade oreo’s in mass quantities. As for the Sad stage, you won’t be able to stomach food so don’t even try. It’s a waste of money. (There’s $5 of DCB I’ll never see again.)

5. Cry

Don’t try to be strong. Let it out, honey. I only cried once on the day of. Saturday…well, I didn’t sleep at all that night and then I sobbed for the rest of the day. It’s therapeutic, even if it sucks.

6. Activities

This is probably the most crucial part: stay busy. DO NOT lay in the bed all day and think about it. I baked cookies and then my friends took me to the lake where we cliff-jumped, swam and tanned.

 

7. Exercise

Exercise is great for 2 stages: Shock and Anger. During Shock, running can help you process the information. During Anger, running can keep you from killing someone.Plus it burns off that pizza and oreo’s.

8. Drive

Going for a drive is the best way to cover a lot of bases: girl, listen to the Playlist, eat some oreo’s, and cry at the same time. In your sweatpants. Quadfecta. (I just made that word up.)

9. Clean

It’s sort of symbolic if you think about it—clean everything around you. Vacuum, wash dishes, scrub the shower, wash the laundry. Get everything gross out of the way (symbolically: sad/pathetic feelings) and put everything where it belongs (symbolically: good feelings/life back in order).

10. God

This is most important. If anyone can take your pain away, it’s your Father. He cares about your problems, even if a break-up seems trivial to third-world hunger and Hurricane Irene. His affections are great for you, and that is the most amazing thing.

 

 

 

I am and I’m on the prowl.