This is a sponsored guest post.
Break-ups are rough. When you’re feeling hurt, angry, and betrayed, it’s easy to allow the pain to drag you into revenge fantasies. Though the idea of publicly shaming your ex or hooking up with one of their friends might seem tempting, the results can be devastating for all involved. Instead of giving yourself a mountain of regret to deal with on top of your heartbreak, try one (or all) of the healthy options below and channel your revenge energy into something positive.
1. Look good
Get a boss new haircut, visit a teeth whitening clinic, treat yourself to a facial or laser treatment – divert all your fury into making yourself look and feel amazing. Obviously you don’t want to blow all your savings on this, but indulging in some cosmetic upgrades will do wonders for your self-esteem. By focusing on making yourself look and feel good, you’ll naturally start channelling your energy into healing, rather than clinging to any anger you may feel towards your former paramour.
2. Get fit
You should never criticize yourself for feeling angry, hurt, sad, or frustrated after a break-up. These emotions are normal and healthy, so long as you channel them in the right ways. Keying your ex’s car in anger or flooding their voicemail with sad messages are not healthy approaches. However, the forcefulness of these emotions can be powerful fuel for exercise. Whether you go for martial arts, a high-energy spin class, or a heavy weights session, your break-up emotions can have you hitting heights of fitness you never knew you were capable of.
3. Expand your horizons
Whether they outright shot your dreams down or you put them on the backburner by choice, most people have some plans or ideas they missed out on because of their relationship. Perhaps you wanted to learn French but ended up watching Netflix with your partner every night instead. Or maybe you wanted to get a sparkly dress, an electric bike, a puppy, or whatever it was that took your fancy, but your ex thought it was too extravagant. Whatever your thing is, go do it now. The satisfaction you get will help you realize that there are benefits to this break-up too.
4. Get some perspective
If you’re struggling to get over what your ex did to you, volunteering to help others will give you an instant dose of perspective. Life isn’t fair, and you shouldn’t feel bad about having a broken heart. Seeing what other people live with and helping them with their burdens will help you realise that so many people have it far worse than you. On top of the sense of perspective this will give you, studies have found that helping others is one of the most effective ways to lift your spirits.
5. Make single awesome again
Being in a relationship almost always means sacrificing some of life’s little solo pleasures. These secret single behaviors can be anything from flirting freely to taking up the whole bed when you sleep or waxing your legs in the lounge room while sipping wine and watching reruns of Sex and the City. Take joy in all the things you can do now without fear of criticism. You don’t have to run a single decision by anyone else anymore. If you let embrace these positives, that freedom can be intoxicating.
Instead of turning your break-up into a race to the bottom with your ex, use it as an opportunity to love yourself the way you deserve to be loved. Your future self will thank you for making them that much more awesome.
